1 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 9 



iHJflTED -STATES OF AMERICA, g 



NOTES 

OP 

TRAVEL IN THE EAST. 



1 

I 



I 



I 




I 



NOTES OF TRAVEL 



IN 

EGYPT, THE HOLY LAND, 



TURKEY, AND GREECE. 



BY 

BENJAMIN PORE, D.D., 

RECTOR OF CHRIST CHURCH, PHILADELPHIA. 




PHILADELPHIA: 
J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO. 
1856. 



Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1856, by 

J. B . LIPPIXCOTT & CO., 

in the Office of the Clerk of the District Court of the United 
States in and for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 



TO THE 



CONGREGATION OF CHRIST CHURCH, PHILADELPHIA. 

My Dear Parishioners : — 

After a long, but unavoidable delay, I present 
you with these Notes of Travel, in compliance with a 
wish which some of you have expressed, that I would 
make known the result of my observations in foreign 
lands. 

By your unexpected kindness, conveyed through your 
vestry, leave of absence from the cares of my parish was 
proffered to me for a year. Your liberality provided for 
me a substitute, continued my salary to my family, and 
furnished me, to a considerable extent, with the means of 
travelling. You have a right, therefore, which I take 
pleasure in acknowledging, to know how my time was spent, 
during our long separation. I have selected such parts 
of my tour, as most interested me, and which I thought 
would probably prove most interesting and instructive to 
you. 

The work lays no claim as a literary production. It is, 
what it professes to be, mere Notes of Travel ; a simple 
diary of occurrences and observations, during my journey 
in the East, and usually written up as each day closed. 
The notes were oftentimes so hastily made, that considera- 
ble time, which I could not well command, was necessary 
to arrange them for the press. And this is my apology 
for withholding them so long. You, who know what my 



Vi TO THE CONGREGATION OF CHRIST CHURCH. 



daily cares and duties are, will deem the apology suffi- 
cient. 

I am fully aware how imperfect is this attempt to de- 
scribe the lands of the Bible, or to convey my own im- 
pressions on visiting them. No words of mine can ex- 
press to you the happiness which I felt, and still feel, in 
those scenes, w T hich have made the sacred volume a new 
book to me, by giving a reality to its records, and illumi- 
nating its every page. Egypt and Palestine, the land of 
bondage and the land of promise, are now no longer, as 
they once seemed to me, distant and unapproachable lands, 
overshadowed with mystery ; but they are familiar as my 
own native land. The towns and villages, the fields and 
fountains, the hills and streams of Syria, — Bethlehem, 
Bethany, and Xazareth, — Samaria, Sychar, and Galilee, — 
Mount Zion, Moriah, and Olivet, — Tabor, and Hermon, 
and Carmel, — Tyre and Sidon, — are as distinctly before 
my mind's eye, while I write, as the well remembered 
scenes of my childhood ; and touch a more responsive 
cord than they. 

Would that I had the power of communicating these 
scenes to your minds, as vividly as they are impressed 
upon my own. I should then have a better offering to 
make, and one far more worthy of your acceptance. But 
I have done what I could ; and I know that the indul- 
gence which, for nineteen years, you have extended to me, 
will not be withheld now. 

You will accept this work, with all its imperfections, as 
an humble testimony of gratitude and affection, from 

Your friend and Pastor, 

B. DORR. 

Philadelphia, March., 1856. 



CONTENTS. 



Page 

CHAPTER I. 
Naples to Malta . 9 

CHAPTER II. 
Malta to Cairo , , . ~ . , 27 

CHAPTER III, 
The Nile. Cairo to Thebes . . . . . . 57 

CHAPTER IV. 

Thebes 88 

CHAPTER V. 
Voyage down the Nile 121 

CHAPTER VI. 
Arabian Desert. Cairo to Jerusalem .... 138 

CHAPTER VII, 
Jerusalem . . . . . . . .169 

C IT A V T E R VIII. 

Bethlehem and Mount Olivet . . . . . 108 



CHAPTER IX, 
The Jordan and Dead Sea . . • . . . . 216 



tii\ CONTEXTS 



Page 

CHAPTER X. 
Jerusalem to Nazareth . 235 

CHAPTER XI. 
Sea of Galilee . . . 264 

CHAPTER XII. 
Nazareth to Beyrout 276 

CHAPTER XIII. 
Beyrout to Smyrna ......... 298 

CHAPTER XIV. 
Smyrna to Constantinople . . . . . .319 

CHAPTER XV. 
Constantinople to Athens ...... 347 

CHAPTER XVI. 
Home through France . 362 



APPENDIX. 

Contract for Voyage on the Nile 390 



Contract for Tour through the Desert and Syria . . 393 



NOTES 

OP 

TEAYEL IN THE 



EAST. 



CHAPTEE I. 

NAPLES TO MALTA. 

It was with mingled feelings of regret and plea- 
sure, that I left the classic shores of Italy, accom- 
panied by my son, to visit Egypt and the Holy 
Land. We had spent more than seven delightful 
months in travelling over the British Isles, and 
through France, Switzerland, Germany, and Italy ; 
and a shade of sadness came over me, as I watched 
the vine-clad hills and mountains of the latter, 
gradually fading from the sight, to be seen by us, in 
all probability, no more. 

But tljien we had much pleasure in anticipation, 
in visiting other lands, far more interesting to the 
Christian traveller than any which we had yet seen ; 
the lands of the Bible. In a few weeks, should 
Providence favour our voyage, we hoped to be in the 
land where God's chosen people dwelt in servitude, 
2 



10 



BAY OF NAPLES. 



where his mighty miracles were wrought for their 
deliverance, and to follow the path of the Israelites 
from their house of bondage to the promised land. 
The thought was ever in our minds, " Our feet shall 
stand in thy gates, Jerusalem;" we shall visit the 
sacred places, consecrated by the footsteps of the 
Saviour and his apostles, and made thrice holy by 
his precious death, his mighty resurrection, and 
glorious ascension. "With such thoughts and feel- 
ings, we bade a last adieu to beautiful Italy, with 
its delightful associations, which must ever retain 
a place in our hearts and memories. 

1853. December 13. On Tuesday at 2 o'clock 
P. M. we went on board the French steamer Helles- 
pont, in the harbour of Naples bound to Malta ; 
and in one hour after, we had weighed anchor and 
were fairly on our voyage. The ship, though not 
of the largest class, had very comfortable accommo- 
dations, was well manned, and commanded by offi- 
cers of the French Navy, who were polite, attentive, 
and kind. Of the seventy passengers, some eight 
or ten were English, and fifteen were Americans. 
Mr. and Mrs. Henry D. Gilpin, of Philadelphia, were 
on their way to Egypt, and we hoped to have them 
for our companions through the whole of our fu- 
ture tour. The afternoon was bright, the sea calm, 
and there was every prospect of a smooth and plea- 



VESUVIUS. 



11 



sant passage ; but we soon learned that nothing is 
more uncertain than winds and waves. As we 
steamed down the far-famed Bay of Naples, which 
for the beauty of its outline, and the surrounding 
scenery, is perhaps unrivalled, we had a glorious 
view of the city, islands, and mountains; and pre- 
eminent among them, Vesuvius, with its eternal 
column of smoke, spreading out high above, and 
overshadowing the summit in one dense cloud. 
We had accomplished the difficult ascent of this 
volcano the day before, and looked down into one 
of those frightful chasms which, eighteen centuries 
ago, poured showers of ashes, and torrents of liquid 
lava, on Herculaneum and Pompeii. As we coasted 
along the shores of Southern Italy we were in full 
view of the sites of those once buried cities, which 
we had visited during our sojourn in Naples. 
Sorrento, a city on the mainland, celebrated for the 
beauty of its scenery, and the healthfulness of its 
climate, but more celebrated as the birthplace of 
Tasso, was on our left ; and we could distinctly see 
the villa, embowered in trees, where the poet was 
born. 

Opposite Sorrento, distant about ten miles, is the 
small island of Capri, rising in two bold mountains, 
nearly two thousand feet above the level of the sea. 
It is a grand object, as seen from the bay, and pos- 
sesses some historical interest from having been 



12 



STROMBOLI. 



the residence of Augustus, and of Tiberius Ca3sar, 
the latter of whom built here, it is said, no less than 
twelve palaces, the ruins of which are still to be 
seen. On our first arrival at Naples, we made an 
excursion to this island, principally to see its won- 
derful cavern, known as the Grotta d'Azzura, or 
blue grotto, which is to the ocean what the Grotto 
of Adelsburg is to the land, the most extraordinary, 
for extent and beauty combined, that has ever been 
discovered. Leaving the promontory of Sorrento 
on our left, and Capri, twenty-two miles from Na- 
ples, on our right, which may be considered as the 
boundary of the bay, we entered upon the open sea. 
Night soon closed in, a head wind blew violently, 
the sea became rough, and we were glad to retire 
to our berths for the night. We afterwards learned, 
from friends who watched our departure from Na- 
ples, that the storm was so violent there as to create 
no little anxiety for our safety. 

Dec. 14. I was on deck at an early hour in 
the morning, and had a fine view of StromboK, re- 
markable for being the only volcano in Europe 
which is always active ; and which has been send- 
ing forth flame for centuries. It is one of the Lipari 
Islands ; in fact, a single mountain, nine miles in 
circumference, rising abruptly from the water to a 
great height, and emitting a pillar of smoke by day, 



MESSINA. 13 

and a pillar of fire by night. Its lofty columns 
of flame are seen by the mariner many miles dis- 
tant, through the darkness of the night ; and hence 
it has been appropriately named, " The light-house 
of the sea " At eleven o'clock in the forenoon, we 
passed the narrow straits which separate the island 
of Sicily from Italy ; that fabled spot, lying between 
Scylla and Charybdis, which the ancient poets repre- 
sented as so full of difficulty and danger to the ad- 
venturous navigator. The high rock of Scylla is 
on the Calabrian coast, and opposite to it are the 
whirlpools of Charybdis; both objects of deep in- 
terest to the classical traveller, but occasioning no 
alarm now, even to the most timid. The scenery 
on either shore is beautiful; especially where the 
promontory of Scylla, with its town and castle of 
the same name, rises in terraces covered with vines, 
and mulberry and olive-trees. The numerous whirl- 
pools in these straits are owing to the rapid current 
passing over pointed rocks beneath, and to the 
counter currents occasioned by projections from the 
opposite shores; but they are neither larger nor 
stronger than those of Hurl Gate, to which they 
bear a striking resemblance. Passing these, we 
soon cast anchor in the fine harbour of Messina, 
where we remained the rest of the day; but, in 
consequence of the quarantine regulations, were 
not permitted to land. This, however, was no great 

2* 



14 



RHEGIUM. 



disappointment, as it was rainy, and the clouds hung 
so thickly over the mountains, which form the back- 
ground to the city and bay, that we only had oc- 
casional glimpses of their summits. "We hoped to 
have a more favourable opportunity of seeing the 
city and island, on our return. 

At six o'clock in the evening we were again 
under way, and at seven or eight miles from Mes- 
sina we passed Ehegiurn,* in Italy, the place where 
St. Paul stopped, after landing at Syracuse, on his 
way from Malta, where he had been shipwrecked, to 
Puteoli, and thence to Eome. There was a satisfac- 
tion in the thought that we were pursuing, in some 
measure, the Apostle's track ; having come from 
Eome by the way of Apii Forum and the Three 
Taverns, having visited Puteoli, and were now sail- 
ing to Malta over the same sea, which the Apostle 
sailed in his memorable voyage. The dark and 
stormy night reminded us of the Apostle's perils ; 
but we felt that we were under the guidance and 
protection of the same Almighty Euler of the winds 
and waves, who protected him. We did not see 
Mount jEtna, the other great volcano of the Sicilian 
group, although we passed near it ; and when we 
arose in the morning Sicily was far behind, out of 
sight. 

* 

* Acts xxviii. 12 to 14. 



MALTA. 



15 



Dec. 15. The weather was clear, the wind had 
abated, and the waves were smoothing down their 
crests, when we caught our first view of Malta, 
rising out of the ocean, one great fortification of 
rock, glaring in the sunlight, without a tree, or 
shrub, or one spot of green to relieve the eye. 

Notwithstanding its apparent sterility, it is said 
to be a delightful winter residence ; having numer- 
ous orange groves, and highly cultivated gardens, 
which are usually in the valleys, or so walled in as 
not to be visible from the sea. Nothing appears, as 
you approach it, but its massive walls, and towers, 
and forts, which render it impregnable, excepting 
by blockade ; the method by which it was taken by 
the English. So long as England maintains her 
supremacy on the ocean, there can be no fear of her 
losing this valuable possession. 

Half an hour before noon we were safely anchored 
in one of the capacious harbours ; and, as there was 
no quarantine to be performed, we soon found our- 
selves comfortably settled, after the good old En- 
glish fashion, at Morrell's Hotel, in Strada Forni, 
with several American friends and fellow-passen- 
gers for our companions. It is quite delightful, 
after five months' absence from England, and after 
the fatigues and perils of our voyage from Italy, to 
find ourselves, though now in Africa, on English 



16 



VALETTA. 



ground ; and to hear, as we pass through the streets, 
the sweet accents of our own mother tongue. . 

Yaletta, which is the chief city of the island, is 
well built with spacious stone-houses, and wide, 
clean, and well-payed streets. Altogether, it has 
more the appearance of home comfort about it, than 
any other town of the size that we have seen since 
we left England. "We should be quite content to 
remain here ten or twelve days, which we find we 
must do, for the next steamer, were it not that we 
are anxious to accomplish our tour, and return to 
our native land. 

Dec. 16. All the houses in the city have flat stone 
roofs, with battlements ; these are intended as a pro- 
tection from shot and shells, in case of an attack by 
sea. 

They also afford convenient promenades, and 
have sometimes patches of earth in which to grow 
shrubs and flowers. From most of the house-tops 
the view of the island and sea is superb. We spent 
some hours on the roof of our hotel to-day, watch- 
ing with the aid of a spy-glass, the numerous ves- 
sels coming and going. We had not been long 
there, before we discovered three large ships to- 
gether, on the verge of the horizon, bearing clown 
towards the island, with a fair wind, and under full 
sail. They proved to be the Agamemnon and an- 



MALTA. 



17 



other English man-of-war, and a Prussian frigate. 
We went to the ramparts to get a better view of 
these leviathans of the deep. Their majestic ap- 
pearance, as they came into port, the hundreds of 
sailors climbing up the rigging, and manning the 
yards, the ease and gracefulness with which the 
ships were brought to, and the sails furled, the large 
English fleet riding at anchor in that spacious har- 
bour, enclosed by fortifications of impregnable 
strength, the thousands of spectators covering every 
accessible height — for it seemed as though the 
whole population of Malta was there — the firing of 
broadsides from each ship as she cast anchor, an- 
swered by the "Ceylon," the flag-ship of the Ad- 
miral, and by the heavy guns of the fort, thunder- 
ing out their welcome, all united in making the 
scene as exciting as it was novel to us. 

The climate of the island at this season is delight- 
ful, but it is only so in winter. During the summer 
and autumnal months, the scanty soil is parched 
with drought ; and it is only just now, in the short- 
est days, that vegetation revives, and the flowers 
begin to spring forth. There is a profusion of them 
at this time. Oranges and pomegranates, grown 
upon the island, are abundant and in great perfec- 
tion, but most other fruits and vegetables come 
from Sicily. The market is well supplied with 
mutton, poultry, and game, from the African coast. 



18 



MALTA. 



Dec. 18, Sunday. We attended the services of 
the church to-day, in the spacious and beautiful edi- 
fice built by the late Queen Dowager, Adelaide, at 
an expense of eighty thousand dollars, out of her 
own private purse. It being the only Protestant 
Church on the island, for the Maltese are Eomanists, 
it is usually well attended. There are chaplains 
here for the army and navy, who have also their 
stated services. Besides being a great naval and 
military station, Malta is a convenient stopping- 
place for all vessels navigating the Mediterranean ; 
so that there is seldom a time when many English 
churchmen are not here, w r ho are glad of the privi- 
leges afforded them of worshipping after their own 
forms. 

The island, w r hich is seventeen miles long and 
eight wide, has a population of one hundred and 
twenty thousand. The fortifications embrace a 
circuit of twenty-seven miles; the strongest portions 
of them are at Yaletta, the chief city of the island* 
and a clean bright city it is, abounding in handsome 
buildings, and having two large libraries, with read- 
ing-rooms, where are to be found the principal 
newspapers and periodicals of the day. One of 
these libraries is for the garrison, the other, which 
was once the property of the knights of Malta, now 
belongs to the government. Strangers, whether 
residents, or only stopping for a few days, find ready 



CHURCH OF ST. JOHN. 



19 



access to both. The native women are famous for 
their skill in the manufacture of fine laces, and 
ladies' mitts and gloves, of which we saw many- 
beautiful specimens; while the men are equally 
celebrated for the perfection to which they have 
brought their gold filagree work. 

Dec. 21. The most interesting building here is the 
Cathedral Church of St. John, about two hundred 
feet in length, and one hundred in width, exclusive 
of the seven side chapels belonging to the different 
nations, who composed the order of the Knights of 
Malta. It was built by the Grand Master, John de 
la Cassine, in 1580. The entire floor of the church 
and chapels is Florentine mosaic, of the most costly 
and beautiful kind, composed of the armorial bear- 
ings, devices and monumental inscriptions, of the 
Grand Masters and Knights, arranged in uniform 
order. The space devoted to each is about five by 
ten feet; some of them a little less, all of costly 
marble of the brightest and most varied colours, and 
no two of the monuments are alike. There are no 
less than four hundred of these coats of arms, or 
memorials, uniting together, in admirable order, to 
form one rich pavement of unequalled beauty ; the 
most splendid mosaic of the kind in the world. 

When seen from the west gallery, it resembles a 
rich Brussels carpet, of the largest and brightest 



20 



MALTA. 



patterns. It is only when walking over it, that you 
appreciate its rare perfection and its immense value. 
It is kept carefully covered with a thick matting, 
and is only displayed on great festivals, or by 
special favour, which it is no easy matter to obtain. 
We were told that as much as twenty-five guineas 
have been paid by a single party of travellers, to 
have the matting removed for a short time, that they 
might see the floor. Very few travellers, therefore, 
enjoy this privilege ; but we were among the favoured 
few ; and that, too, without any tax upon our purse 
beyond a small gratuity to the servants in attend- 
ance. 

On our arrival in Malta, my banker very kindly 
told me that, before our departure, he would take 
measures to have the pavement uncovered, for the 
inspection of myself and friends, and that he would 
send me word when it could be seen. Accordingly 
I received a note from him saying, that at noon to- 
day his nephew would call and accompany us, and 
such friends as we might choose to invite, to the 
church. We spent an hour or two in looking at this 
wonderful specimen of ingenuity and skill, and in 
examining the costly monuments, paintings, bronzes 
and sculpture of the chapels. In the crypt are to 
be seen the tombs of La Valette and other grand 
masters. Having satisfied our curiosity here, we 
took a carriage which was waiting for us at the door 



ST. PAUL'S BAY. 



21 



of the church, and rode out to Crendi, where are 
some interesting ruins reminding us of Stonehenge, 
though more extensive and more perfect ; supposed 
to be the remains of a Phoenician temple, not less 
than two thousand years old. Not far from these, 
and near the sea, are other similar ruins. 

Dec. 23. We made another delightful excursion 
to-day, embracing a circuit of about twenty miles. 
The roads are so fine, the air so balmy, the fields 
so green, and the views so varied, that a ride at this 
season is a great luxury. The most interesting spot 
to us upon the whole island, is St. Paul's Bay, where 
tradition says the apostle was shipwrecked.* That 
Malta is the Melita of the Acts of the Apostles, and 
that this is the place of that memorable wreck, I see 
not the slightest reason to doubt.f The bay makes 
a deep indentation into the land, and its waters, 
when we saw them, were calm and beautifully trans- 
parent. But as I stood upon its sunny shore, and 
looked out upon its placid bosom, it required no 
great effort of the imagination to bring before my 
mind's eye the whole scene of that terrible night. 
I could fancy that I saw the sea lashed into tempest, 
the vessel furiously driven past the eastern point of 

* Acts xxvii. and xxviii. 

f See Smith's Shipwreck of St. Paul. 

3 



22 



MALTA. 



the bay, where the breakers were dashing and foam- 
ing against the rocks, the hurried heaving of the 
lead, the casting of the four anchors from the stern, 
the multitude of men, women and children, soldiers 
and prisoners, two hundred and seventy-six souls, 
crowding the deck of that tempest-tossed bark, and 
anxiously wishing for the day, the holy Apostle, 
with the calmness and composure that none but a 
Christian can feel under such circumstances, stand- 
ing in the midst of them, exhorting them to take 
food and to be comforted, and assuring them that 
not a hair of their head should perish. And then 
when the daylight dawned, I could see them heaving 
the anchors, "loosing the rudder bands," hoisting the 
mainsail, and running the ship aground " where two 
seas met;" the exact position of which seems to be 
clearly defined. And when the stern was broken 
by the violence of the waves, the inhuman propo- 
sition of the soldiers was "to kill the prisoners lest 
any of them should swim out and escape. But the 
Centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from 
their purpose ; and commanded that they which could 
swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and 
get to land; and the rest, some on boards, and some 
on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came # to 
pass that they escaped all safe to land."* All these 



* Acts xxvii. 40 to 44. 



DOCK-YARD. 



23 



things were visibly before me ; nor "have I a doubt 
that they actually occurred here eighteen centuries 
ago. The traditions concerning some other places 
on the island, connected with St. Paul's shipwreck 
and residence, may be more questionable ; but the 
physical character, and the position of this bay, to 
say nothing of the prima facie evidence from tra- 
dition, point it out as the identical spot of the ship- 
wreck. The place where it is said the " barbarous 
people" received them, and kindled a fire; and 
where the viper fastened upon the Apostle's hand ; 
the cave in which he dwelt ; over both which 
churches have been created, are localities near the 
bay. We brought away some shells and pebbles 
from the shore, as memorials of our visit. 

Dec. 24. The island is so covered with stone 
houses, and small walled towns, and the population 
is so numerous, that it has the appearance of being 
one vast city; or, more properly, one vast fortifi- 
cation. In the principal city, Yaletta, you see the 
people and costumes of almost every nation in the 
world. 

We obtained permission at the Admiralty Office 
to see the dock-yard at Yittoriosa, on the great 
harbour opposite Yaletta. 

In its general arrangements it is much like our 
navy yards at Charlestown and Portsmouth. The 



24 



MALTA. 



naval bakery is quite a curiosity in its way, for 
size and completeness. The whole process of 
making bread for the army and navy is performed 
by steam machinery under one roof. The wheat is 
ground, bolted, mixed, kneaded, rolled, stamped, 
baked, and packed away for use, in an almost in- 
credibly short time. More than seven tons of hard 
biscuit, equal to seventy barrels of flour, or three 
hundred and fifty bushels of wheat, can be made 
here in a single day. 

At Vittoriosa there is a Eomish priest, whose 
rooms we visited, who has gained considerable 
celebrity for his skill in making small wax figures, 
representing the customs, costumes, and trades, of 
the Maltese. Though skilfully executed, and dis- 
playing much ingenuity, we did not think them 
quite equal to similar specimens which we have seen 
from South America. 

Dec. 25. And this is Christmas Day; I hope "a 
merry Christmas" to all our dear ones at home. 
How different to me from that of last year ! How 
different from that of any former year ! Here we 
are, five thousand miles from our native land, and 
on our way to Bethlehem, the scene of that great 
event, which the " holy church throughout all the 
world" this day commemorates. 



CHRISTMAS DAY. 



25 



"We have had a very quiet and agreeable holy-day 
here ; and I do not think there is a spot in the old 
world, out of England, where we could have spent 
it more profitably. The day was bright and beau- 
tiful, like one of our loveliest May days ; and every 
face we met seemed radiant with joy. We attended 
divine service at 11 o'clock in the Episcopal Church, 
which was decorated with evergreens, though not 
in great profusion, for they are not easily obtained ; 
none growing on the island except such as are cul- 
tivated in the gardens. The services, with the ex- 
ception of the slight difference that there is between 
our own and the English liturgy, were the same as 
those which our friends were enjoying this day at 
home. The archdeacon read the morning prayer, 
the rector, the Eev. Mr. Cleugh, preached an appro- 
priate sermon from the words, "Jesus Christ the 
righteous." I read a portion of the communion 
service, and, together with the Eev. Mr. Fort, an 
English clergyman, assisted the archdeacon and the 
rector in administering the Holy Sacrament to a 
large number of communicants ; among whom were 
many officers of the British army and navy. It was 
a most gratifying service in every respect ; remind- 
ing me most forcibly of home and friends, and 
especially when that familiar hymn " While Shep- 
herds watched," was sung. How often have I heard 
this in dear old Christ Church ! 

3* 



26 



MALTA. 



We attended afternoon service at 5 o'clock, and 
heard another able and practical sermon from the 
rector. In the evening, we sat down to an excellent 
dinner, our table ornamented with a splendid bouquet, 
and abundantly supplied with all the fruits of the 
season ; and we remembered those who, in a colder 
clime, but with warmest hearts, were enjoying a 
merry Christmas, thinking perhaps of us. 



CHAPTER II. 



MALTA TO CAIRO. 

The French steamer " Louqsor," from Marseilles, 
bound to Alexandria, arrived at Malta on the even- 
ing of the 26th, and sailed again the same evening. 
It was quite calm when we left the harbour ; but 
before midnight the wind blew furiously, raising a 
rough sea, and tossing our noble vessel up and down, 
to the great discomfort of all on board. 

The rough weather continued for nearly two days, 
during which time most of the passengers kept in 
their berths ; but the calm came on as suddenly as 
the storm, and we had a fine run during the remain- 
der of the voyage. 

Our ship made the African coast early on the 
morning of the 30th ; but a fog springing up com- 
pelled her to lie by until noon ; when it cleared off 
brightly, and the city of Alexandria was before us, 
a few miles distant. Its domes, and minarets, and 
palm-trees, its towers and fortifications, and the tall 
masts of its shipping, are the only objects to relieve 



28 



EGYPT. 



the eye, on the whole of that low, level seaboard. 
Not a rock, or hill, or tree, nothing but one long 
sandy beach, was to be seen on either side of the city. 

A pilot in turban and trowsers, to us a novel dress 
for a sailor, came on board ; and we were soon safely 
anchored in the ancient harbour, where lay a number 
of foreign merchant vessels, and two or three large 
ships of the line, belonging to the Pasha. An 
hundred small boats, filled with Turks and Arabs, 
immediately surrounded our ship, with a noise and 
confusion of tongues that might have out-babeled 
Babel. Such pulling and hauling, such shouting 
and screaming, among the boatmen, to secure a por- 
tion of the passengers and their luggage, would have 
been ludicrous enough, had we not been a party 
concerned ; but to us it was no laughing matter. 
"We did not know then, as we learned afterwards, that 
an Arab's bark is worse than his bite, or we should 
have felt less concerned for our personal safety. 
"We, however, got well on shore ; and then a similar 
contest began among the porters, men and women, 
donkey-boys, and camel-drivers. Our party consisted 
of five, with a moderate amount of portmanteaus and 
bags, which some three or four women managed to 
secure ; and, having packed them in baskets, they 
bore them off triumphantly on their heads. Then, 
with the aid of our landlord, who came to the steamer 
to look after his own interest, we fought our way 



ALEXANDRIA. 



29 



through the dense crowd of Turks and Arabs, don- 
keys and camels, and reached our hotel, Victoria, 
in safety. 

To those who, like ourselves, had never been in 
an Oriental city before, the transition was great in- 
deed, but full of interest. Every thing we saw and 
heard was unlike what we had seen and heard in 
other lands. Here the palm is the common tree, 
camels are the beasts of harden, scarcely anything 
but donkeys are used for riding, turbaned men 
and veiled women walk the streets; none but 
ourselves in Frank dress. These things remind 
us that we are now in the East ; and it will require 
some little time to feel at home here. 

Of the ancient city built by Alexander the Great, 
there are scarcely any remains, nor is there much 
to detain a traveller in the modern town. As you 
enter the harbour, you see the island of Pharos, on 
which once stood the white marble beacon, built 
by Ptolemy Philadelphus, which was one of the 
seven wonders of the world. The lighthouse of 
the port now occupies the site of the ancient tower. 
The chief objects of interest in Alexandria are 
Pompey's Pillar, and the two Egyptian obelisks, 
known as Cleopatra's Needles, which were brought 
from Heliopolis, and placed here by one of the 
Caesars, to ornament his temple. Pompey's Pillar 
stands upon a hill just outside the walls of the city, 



30 



ALEXANDRIA. 



near a Turkish burial-ground; and, from its size 
and great elevation, is a conspicuous object for 
many miles, as you approach it from the sea. The 
round shaft, which is a single piece of red granite, 
from the 'quarries of Syene, in Upper Egypt, is 
seventy-three feet high, and ten feet in diameter. 
The pedestal and capital, of the same material, are 
each of a single block. The diameter of the capital 
is sixteen and a half feet. The whole height of the 
pillar is ninety-nine feet. It is supposed to have 
been erected by Publius, a governor of Lower Egypt, 
in honour of the Emperor Dioclesian. 

The obelisks, called Cleopatra's Needles, are also 
single blocks of red syenite, nearly equal in size, and 
not more than sixty yards apart. One has fallen, 
and is almost buried in the sand; the other, which 
is erect and very perfect, is seventy feet high, and 
seven feet seven inches diameter at its base. They 
are supposed to have been sculptured B. C. 1500; 
consequently are more than thirty-three hundred 
years old. The fallen obelisk was given to the 
English Government some years since, by the Pasha 
of Egypt ; but the expense of removing it would 
be so great, that it is doubtful whether any attempt 
will be made to take it to England. 

One day in Alexandria was quite sufficient to 
see all that interested us there ; and we left on Satur- 
day morning, the thirty-first of December, at 8 A.M., 



THE NILE. 



31 



expecting to spend a portion of New Year's day 
in Cairo. 

We had a commodious barge on the Mahmou- 
dieh canal, towed by a small steamer from Alexan- 
dria to Atfeh, fifty miles, where the canal unites 
with the Nile, by means of several substantial stone 
locks. Here we had our first view of the great 
river of Egypt. A large steamer was moored at 
the bank, ready to take us up to Cairo, a hundred 
and thirty miles distant. Night was approaching 
when we arrived at Atfeh, and our Arab pilot mani- 
fested considerable anxiety to have all on board as 
speedily as possible. There was, however, some un- 
avoidable delay, as the baggage, of which there was 
no small amount, had to be carried over a single 
plank, from the shore to the vessel ; but the porters, 
all of whom were in the regular employ of the 
Transit Company, worked industriously, and, in an 
hour or two, we were steaming rapidly up the Nile. 

In the course of the night we were aroused by 
the loud clamour of numerous voices. Hastening 
on deck, a singular scene presented itself; and in 
the noise, and confusion, and darkness, it was diffi- 
cult to determine what was the matter. We had 
reached the great dam, or barrage, of the Nile, 
through the central opening of which we were about 
to pass. Tow-ropes were attached to the bow and 
sides of our boat, at which some three hundred 



32 



BARRAGE OF THE NILE. 



Arabs were tugging, to force her, with the aid of 
the engine, up the rapid current. The furious 
rushing of the water through this immense flood- 
gate, the men on the pier-heads with blazing torches, 
which lit up their bronze faces and gay clothing, 
together with the shouting of our captain to them, 
and their shouts in return, rendered the whole scene 
exceedingly novel and exciting. It was a con- 
siderable time before we were fairly through the 
barrage. 

This herculean work, not yet entirely finished, 
is near the apex of the Delta, where the Nile divides 
into two principal streams, the Eosetta and Damietta 
branches, and is intended to raise the water of the 
river for the purpose of more effectually irrigating 
the soil of Lower Egypt. Immense stone dams are 
being thrown across each of the branches of the 
Nile, with central and side arches. The central 
one, which is ninety-two feet, is sufficiently broad 
to allow the principal volume of water to pass, and 
to furnish a passage for the largest steamers. At 
the same time, by closing the side arches, while the 
Nile is low, enough water will be retained to supply 
the canals intended for irrigation. 

Our boat unfortunately got aground in the night, 
which detained us six hours; and a dense fog the 
next morning prevented our making much pro- 
gress. 



THE NILE. 



33 



It was nine o'clock on Sunday evening, January 
1st, 1854, when we arrived at the place of our des- 
tination. In consequence of these detentions, our first 
Sunday in the year was passed in a manner very 
different from what we had anticipated. Instead of 
being at Cairo, attending the services of the English 
Church Mission, as we had hoped, we were on a boat 
filled with passengers from every quarter of the 
globe; Arabs, Greeks, Turks, Ethiopians, Italians, 
Germans, French, English, and Americans; and I 
know not how many others. They were all, how- 
ever, more orderly than is usual among the same 
number of passengers, in one of our own steam- 
boats; and we enjoyed a comparatively quiet Sunday. 

The whole country, from Alexandria to Cairo, is 
flat, like the Delta of the Mississippi ; but, tame as 
the scenery is in itself, there was enough of novelty 
around us to make it interesting. Strange look- 
ing boats, manned by stranger looking people, and 
loaded with the produce of the country, rice, cotton, 
wheat, sugar-cane, were continually passing us. Clay 
villages, rude as the beavers would make, with their 
motley inhabitants basking in the sun, were to be 
seen all along the banks. Immense flocks of birds 
on the river and on the land, large groves of the 
date-palm, numbers of camels and buffaloes, some 
bearing burdens, others unequally yoked together 
in the plough, the rudest instrument that was ever 
4 



34 



CAIRO. 



invented for breaking up the soil, here and there a 
large white raosque, with its dome and minaret 
rising high above the mud-hovels with which it 
was surrounded, were sights so new and strange as 
to make our first voyage in Egypt quite an exciting 
one. 

About thirty miles below Cairo, at sunset on New 
Year's clay, we had a distant view of the great pyra- 
mids, which continued in sight while the daylight 
lasted. At nine o'clock we reached Boolak, the port 
of Cairo, and in half an hour more were comfortably 
quartered at Sheppard's Hotel, a spacious and com- 
modious building fronting the great square of Cairo. 
I had not been in my room five minutes, before I 
was reminded how truly Egyptian are the common 
customs of the city. 1 had occasion to call a servant, 
and looked in vain for a bell. On opening my door, 
a gentleman to whom I stated my perplexity said, 
" This, sir, is the way to call a servant,*' and gave a 
violent clapping of his hands, when one instantly 
appeared. 

Jan. 2. This is our first day in Grand Cairo, the 
capital of Egypt, and the most interesting, it is said, 
of all Eastern cities ; because none other has so en- 
tirely preserved its Oriental character. We have 
been riding all day, as everybody else rides, on sleek, 
lively, little donkeys, through its narrow streets, 



CAIRO. 



35 



crowded thorough fares, and bazaars. There are 
thousands of these valuable animals within the city, 
and numbers are kept standing at every corner, and 
near all the hotels. One can be hired for twenty-five 
cents a day, with the driver, who follows with a stick 
to urge him on, and to take charge of him when you 
dismount. The facility with which the little creature 
pushes his way among the crowd, opening a passage 
here and there, and never treading on any person, 
is truly surprising. Without such aid, it would be 
next to impossible for a Frank to move through 
the dense masses of human beings, that sometimes 
throng the streets. 

We were so fortunate as to meet with the Eev. 
Dr. Stuart, a Scotch Presbyterian clergyman, and an 
English friend of his, with whom we joined company, 
to see the sights of Cairo. They had previously 
engaged an experienced Arab for their guide. He 
led the way in full canter, while we kept close upon 
his heels, with four Arab donkey-boys running be- 
hind, and whipping up our animals. On we dashed, 
pell-mell, among the crowds of men, women, camels, 
dogs and donkeys, through bazaars and streets, which 
had neither pavement nor sidewalk; most of them 
not more than ten feet wide, and some of them much 
less. In every open space, or large square, we saw 
jugglers and showmen, who had gathered groups of 
spectators around them. Some exhibited charmed 



36 



CAIRO. 



snakes, which they carried in their bosom ; others 
had goats, which were made to stand on little blocks 
of wood, placed one over the other, with not more 
than a square inch for the animal to put his feet 
upon. 

Others exhibited tricks by sleight of hand, for 
which the Egyptians are so remarkable. AYe occa- 
sionally stopped to witness some of these, or to watch 
a group of Arabs engaged in buying and selling, 
which is always attended on both sides with much 
loud talking, and violent gesticulations, however tri- 
fling the value of the article of trade may be. 

Our first visit was to the citadel, which crowns 
the summit of a lbfty hill, and encloses within its 
walls three objects of special interest, the mosque of 
Mohammed Ali, Joseph's Well, and one of the Pasha's 
palaces. The mosque is a splendid structure, lined 
and paved with oriental alabaster; the interiour of 
the lofty dome being gorgeously decorated with 
blue and gold. 

Mohammed Ali's magnificent tomb stands within 
this mosque, which was erected over it as a monu- 
ment to his memory. We found no difficulty in 
getting admission, even while the Mussulmen were at 
their devotions. We were simply required to put off 
our shoes at the door, and to enter with slippers, or 
in our stockings ; it was not expected that we would 
uncover our heads. I felt a little awkward at first, 



THE CITADEL. 



37 



in walking about barefooted, with my hat on, over 
the smooth alabaster floor, and upon the rich Turkey- 
carpets, which covered some portions of the temple. 
The " Kebla," or sacred stone, which is placed in the 
wall of every mosque, indicates the position of Mecca, 
towards which the faithful always pray. This is the 
most holy place, corresponding to the chancel of our 
churches, and is usually spread with carpets, on which 
the worshipper kneels. 

We ascended, by a spiral staircase, to the top of 
one of the minarets, which is probably two hundred 
feet high, and gained a glorious view of the city, 
with its four hundred mosques, the Nile, the delta, 
and the pyramids, on the west, and the boundless 
desert on the east. 

The Pasha's palace, intended for his hareem, is not 
very remarkable as a palace ; it has some fine large 
rooms, but little ornament or furniture. There is 
an extensive garden attached to it, prettily laid out, 
from which we were permitted to gather some 
flowers and most delicious oranges. 

Beer Yoosef, "Joseph's Well," so called, from the 
Caliph Yoosef, the illustrious Saladdin, is hewed out 
of the solid rock to the depth, it is said, of five hun- 
dred feet; and is supposed to have been the work of 
the ancient Egyptians. It had been so entirely 
filled with sand and rubbish, for centuries, that all 

knowledge of it was lost; when it was discovered by 

4* 



38 MOSQUES. 

Saladdin, A. D. 1170, who had it cleared out as a 
reservoir for the citadel, and hence it bears his 
name. The water is conducted into it from the 
Nile, and raised, at two successive elevations of two 
hundred and fifty feet each, by means of earthen 
jars attached to a revolving belt of leather ; the 
wheel over which the belt revolves, being turned by 
buffaloes. The diameter of this stupendous well is 
probably not less than thirty feet. 

Sultan Hassan's mosque, though not so gorgeous 
as that of Mohammed Ali, is much more beautiful 
in its architecture; and in this respect excels any 
which we saw in Cairo. It was built A. D. 1360, of 
stones taken from the pyramids. On the tomb of 
the Sultan, which stands beneath a lofty dome, is 
placed a chest containing, it is said, a copy of the 
Koran, written in large and beautiful characters. 
We did not ask to see the manuscript, nor do I 
know that it is ever shown to any stranger. 

One of the gentlemen of our party, who was on 
his way to India, wishing to make some purchases 
to send home to friends in England, we accom- 
panied him to several of the bazaars, where one 
sees Eastern habits and customs, which continually 
remind him of what he has read in the Arabian 
Nights. A shop, in a Turkish bazaar, is a small 
affair; usually about the size of a large bow-win- 
dow, say eight or ten feet in width, and five or six 



BAZAARS. 



39 



feet deep, elevated about two and a half feet from 
the ground, entirely open in the front during busi- 
ness hours, and afterwards closed with wooden shut- 
ters. Here the Turk sits upon his mat all day, 
smoking his pipe, and apparently indifferent whe- 
ther he has any customers or not. His goods are 
placed in packages on the shelves, which line three 
sides of his little shop; but seldom are any of them 
exposed to view, unless called for. We took our 
seats, k la Turque, on the shop floor of a merchant, 
who dealt in silks and embroideries of Damascus, 
and the costly cashmeres of Persia. We were six 
in all, including the merchant and his assistant ; 
and, when seated together on the carpet, there was 
only room enough left for taking down the parcels, 
which one by one were opened, and the contents 
spread out for exhibition on our laps; while our 
dragoman stood outside as interpreter. 

It was surprising to see how many rich and beau- 
tiful articles of silk, and linen, and wool, shawls, 
scarfs, handkerchiefs, laces and embroideries of the 
finest materials, and most exquisite workmanship, 
were piled away upon those shelves. 

Our friend having made his purchases, to the en- 
tire satisfaction of all parties, and accepted, as is 
customary, a present of some trifling value from the 
merchant, we took our leave, by receiving and re- 
turning his salutations, with as much gravity, as if 



40 PETRIFIED FOREST. 

we had been making a formal visit at his house. 
In many of the bazaars, through which we passed, 
there were not only all sorts of merchandise to be 
found ; but all kinds of wares, of wood, and copper, 
and silk, and cotton, and leather, were being made 
in them. At one place we saw half a dozen men 
engaged in manufacturing pipes ; in another, slip- 
pers ; in another, women were working at embroid- 
er}^ ; all sitting in their little shops, as much exposed 
to view as if they were in the street; all busy and 
cheerful, and pleased if any passer-by stopped to 
examine their work. 

Jan. 3. To-day we rode out upon the desert, about 
ten miles, to see what is called the "petrified forest;" 
but which is nothing more than fossil fragments of 
the branches and trunks of trees, thickly scattered 
over a space of several square miles; and varying 
in size from a small chip to a large tree. The pet- 
rifactions are very perfect, and well worth a visit. 

On our return, we stopped just outside the city 
walls, to see the tombs of the Circassian Memlook 
Kings, which were once magnificent mosques; me- 
morials of the power and greatness of the Sultans 
of that dynasty. The stones of some of them have 
been taken to construct other buildings, and all are 
fast falling to decay; yet enough is left to show their 
former grandeur. That of Sultan El Bir-Kook, 



CAIRO. 



41 



A. D. 1382, is perhaps in as good preservation as 
any of them, and probably once ranked among the 
first of these splendid monuments. As we entered 
the outer gate of this mosque, we saw " two women 
grinding at the mill," formed of two circular stones 
placed horizontally, one over the other. They were 
sitting on the ground, with the mill between them ; 
with one hand they put in the grain, and with the 
other they rapidly turned the upper millstone, by 
throwing the handle alternately back and forth. 

Almost every hour we see something of this kind 
peculiar to the East, which illustrates portions of the 
Scriptures. The water is carried about the streets in 
skin bottles, or borne upon the head in earthen jars, 
as in ancient times. Long trains of camels, thirty 
or forty together, marching single file, are constantly 
entering the city, with the products of distant lands ; 
reminding us of the "company of Ishmaelites," in 
Jacob's time, who carried spicery, and balm, and 
myrrh, down to Egypt,* and took Joseph with 
them. Vast numbers of asses, oftentimes a hundred 
in a drove, are seen heavily laden with bags of 
grain, as when Joseph's brethren came into Egypt, 
to buy corn for their famishing households. 

The camel, however, is the chief beast of burden ; 
and is employed, not only to transport merchandise, 



* Gen. xxxvii. 25. 



42 



HELIOPOLIS. 



but wool and stone for building; and oftentimes 
large sticks of timber, and blocks of granite. It re- 
quires no little skill for a pedestrian to keep out of 
their way, by standing close to the wall, near some 
projecting window, or by dodging under their 
burdens. On one occasion, I was so closely pressed, 
that I was obliged to jump into a Turk's shop- 
window, to escape being crushed by a train of 
camels, loaded with sugar-cane, which filled up the 
entire street. Some of the streets are so narrow, 
that no loaded camel could possibly pass through 
them. This is the case in the Coptic quarter, where 
that which is called "the wide street" will only 
enable two donkeys to go abreast; and the projec- 
tions from some of the Tapper stories of the houses 
touch each other. In the Jews' quarter, they are 
even narrower; and as you ride through them, your 
feet can touch the walls of the buildings on both 
sides of the way. 

We saw to-day a troop of Turkish soldiers 
mounted on stout, fleet horses, followed by a large 
body of infantry, mostly Ethiopians. They were 
all dressed in white uniforms, and wore the tarboosh, 
or red cap. They were generally fine looking men, 
but it could not be called a very brilliant military 
display. 

Jan. 5. We spent this day in visiting the ruins of 



HELIOPOLIS. 



43 



Heliopolis, the ancient On, near the village of Mata- 
reeh, eight or ten miles from Cairo. All this por- 
tion of the delta was included in the land of Goshen, 
where the children of Israel dwelt. The large 
groves of the lofty date-palm, the orange and lemon- 
trees laden with fruit, the fields covered with wheat, 
about half grown, the luxuriant sugar-cane, matured 
and ready for the press, proved that this part of 
Egypt might even now be called "the best of the 
land;"* for nothing can surpass it in fertility. As 
we rode along, numbers of the white ibis might be 
seen near our path, their golden beaks and snowy 
plumage contrasting beautifully with the green grass 
and grain. As no one ever molests them, they are 
quite tame; and this we found generally the case 
with the birds of Egypt; they are not afraid of the 
presence of man. 

Before reaching the ruins, we stopped at an an- 
cient well, near which is a sycamoref — the Egyptian 
fig, or fig mulberry-tree — twenty-four feet in cir- 
cumference. Tradition says, that Joseph and Mary 
and the infant Saviour, stopped to repose here on 
their flight into Egypt. It is possible that this tree 
may have sprung from the roots, or seed, of trees 
which shaded the well in our Saviour's time; and it 
is not improbable, that the Holy Family rested from 



* Gen. xlvii. 6. 



f Amos vii. 14. Lu. xix. 4. 



44 



HELIOPOLIS. 



the fatigues of their journey beside this ancient well. 
They are called the "well and the tree of the Holy 
Family." We drank of the pure refreshing water, 
and brought away with us a piece of that venerable 
tree, as a memento of our visit. 

Some extensive mounds of earth, a few large 
blocks of marble, with broken capitals and columns, 
and a single obelisk, are all that remain of the re- 
nowned Heliopolis, the city of the Sun; in whose 
schools of learning Herodotus and Plato studied, 
and from which emanated the wisdom that enlight- 
ened Greece and Eome. The obelisk, which once 
adorned the celebrated temple of the sun, still stands 
erect and perfect, in all its beauty, just where it was 
placed nearly four thousand years ago, by Osirtasen 
L, the Pharaoh who reigned over Egypt when 
Joseph was there. Some of its companions, which 
were once the ornaments of the same temple, have 
been transported to other lands ; one is now at Con- 
stantinople, carried there by Constantine the Great ; 
several were taken to Eome by the early Emperors, 
and are still among the chief ornaments of that city; 
and two, known as Cleopatra's Needles, were re- 
moved to Alexandria, to adorn a temple of the 
Caesars, where they have remained for eighteen 
centuries. 

But this solitary obelisk has been permitted to 
stand, a witness to the glory and the decay of city 



HELI0P0LIS. 



45 



and temple. It is in much better preservation than 
those of its fellows, which we saw at Eome, Alexan- 
dria, and Constantinople. Like them, it is a single 
block of red granite, from the quarries of Syene. 
It is sixty-eight feet high above the pedestal, and a 
little more than six feet square at the base. 

It is impossible to express my feelings, as I stood 
at the foot of this obelisk, where prophets, priests, 
and kings had stood, looking on that, which the eyes 
of all the patriarchs had looked upon, and called to 
mind some of the wonderful events, which had hap- 
pened to many of God's chosen people, here, and 
around this very spot. 

Heliopolis, as it is called in the Septuagint, the On 
of our English version, the Bethshemesh, or house of 
the sun, mentioned by Jeremiah,* is the city where 
Joseph was sold into captivity ; here he was exalted 
to be u ruler over all the land of Egypt ;"f here he 
received "to wife," from Pharaoh's hands, "Asenath 
the daughter of Potiphera, Priest of On;" and here 
his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, were born. In 
its celebrated schools Moses became " learned in all 
the wisdom of the Egyptians," to qualify him, under 
the Divine guidance, to become the deliverer and 
lawgiver of his people. In the surrounding country, 
the Israelites had their appointed dwelling-place; 



* Jeremiah xliii. 13. 

5 



t Gen. xli. 43, 45, 50, 52. 



46 



ISLAND OF RHODA. 



where, notwithstanding their oppressions, they grew 
to be a mighty nation. It could not have been far 
from this place where they were all assembled, "six 
hundred thousand men, beside children,"* on that 
memorable night, when Moses had his last interview 
with Pharaoh, and they were led forth in triumph 
from their house of bondage, carrying with them 
the spoils of their oppressors, It is recollections 
and associations, such as these, which make the 
whole land of Egypt, and this part of it especially, 
so intensely interesting to the Christian. 

Jan. 6. A visit of half an hour to the college of 
whirling dervishes, to witness their strange religious 
ceremonies, quite satisfied my curiosity, and I was 
glad to escape from the painful scene. They twirled 
so long, and so rapidly, that I could not look at them 
without a sensation of giddiness; and their move- 
ments were accompanied by frightful moans and 
yells, made more hideous by the din of fifes and 
drums. It was such a spectacle as no person would 
care to see more than once. 

On the island of Ehoda, opposite old Cairo, is the 
famous ISTilometer, a granite pillar, inclosed in a 
large square chamber, or well, and accurately marked, 
to show the rise and fall of the Nile ; a matter of the 

* Ex. xii. 37. 



NILOMETER. 



47 



greatest importance to all the inhabitants of Egypt. 
When the waters begin to rise, this meter is care- 
fully watched, and their height is daily proclaimed 
in the streets of Cairo. The annual rise of the river 
is from twenty to twenty-three feet, and when it 
approaches these marks, much anxiety is felt lest it 
should not rise high enough to overflow its banks, 
or lest it should rise so high, as to sweep away the 
villages and flocks, as is sometimes the case. 

When the waters, having attained an elevation 
sufficient to cover the soil, begin to fall, the intelli- 
gence is received with the greatest demonstrations of 
joy. The river is usually at its lowest in the end 
of May; it begins to rise in June and July, and 
attains its highest point the last of September, or 
early in October. A Kilometer was built on the 
island of Ehoda, about A. D. 700 ; but that which is 
now there is supposed to have been erected in the 
middle of the ninth century, and has therefore been 
in use a thousand years. Near it is a summer 
palace of Ibrahim Pacha, which has many large and 
airy apartments, with marble floors, and ceilings 
highly decorated in Oriental style. In the centre of 
the principal saloon is a beautiful white marble 
fountain ; and attached to the palace is a garden 
containing many trees and flowers from foreign 
lands. Not far from this palace, tradition points to 



43 



OLD CAIRO. 



a spot, on the island, as that where the infant Moses 
was found by Pharaoh's daughter. 

About three miles from Cairo, on the banks of the 
Kile, opposite Gizeh, is Fostat, now known as old 
Cairo, and once the metropolis of Egypt. It was 
built on the site of the Egyptian Babylon ; so called 
from a colony of Babylonians, who settled there in 
the reign of Cambyses. It now contains a village of 
Coptic Christians, and a convent, with a very old 
church, beneath the floor of which is a large room, 
or cave, shown as the place where the Holy Family 
were concealed, when they fled from the persecution 
of Herod. 

In this church, it is said, St. Peter wrote his epis- 
tles ; nor can I think it improbable, ■ that his first 
epistle was written in this city ; as he sends, to 
those whom he addressed, the salutation of the 
church that is at Babylon. "Without attaching un- 
due importance to such a tradition, I am disposed 
to believe it true, unless some good reason can be 
given to prove it false, or improbable. We know 
that our Saviour, when a child, was with his parents 
in Egypt ; and it is not unlikely, that a spot made 
sacred by the Holy Family's residence, would be 
selected as the site of the first Christian church. 

It is equally probable that the apostle Peter, when 
in Egypt, would take up his abode in the sanctuary 
reared over the dwelling-place of his divine master. 



PYRAMIDS OF GIZEH. 



49 



I confess to having felt, as I stood beneath the roof 
of that venerable old building, a deeper interest than 
I had felt before, in those words of the Apostle, "the 
church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, 
saluteth you, and so doth Marcus my son."* 

Jan. 7. We have spent this day in visiting, what 
was formerly considered the first of the seven won- 
ders of the world, the Pyramids of Gizeh, ten miles 
from Cairo, on the opposite side of the Nile, and 
just on the edge of the great Libyan Desert. 

Our party consisted of one lady, and five gentle- 
men, all Americans, each with an Arab attendant 
on foot, and all mounted- on donkeys, with an Arab 
for our guide. The day was clear and bright, as 
all the days have been since we came here ; while 
a refreshing breeze rendered it sufficiently cool even 
in the sun. 

It was like one of our finest days in May ; only 
the air was more transparent, and more elastic, than 
with us. With such a charming temperature, we 
could hardly realize that it is midwinter. 

Three miles from Cairo we crossed the river to 
Gizeh; once a considerable city, beautified with 
palaces, and with the favourite country residences 
of the great ; but now a mere village of mud huts. 



* 1st Epis. Peter v. 13. 

5* 



50 



DATE PALMS. 



Oar ride, from hence, was through extensive groves 
of palm-trees, and rich fields of wheat and clover. 
The palms, of which there were many thousands, 
were of that species which bears the date ; a fruit 
most useful to the inhabitants, and which is here 
produced in the greatest abundance and perfec- 
tion. 

The trees shoot out no branches ; but a large tuft 
of graceful leaves, twenty feet in length, crowns the 
top, and from the stems of these, close to the trunk, 
the dates depend in clusters like the banana. 

A single tree produces annually about two hun- 
dred pounds of fruit. Several of the trees, which 
we measured, were seven feet in circumference, and 
appeared to be of nearly uniform size, to the height 
of sixty or eighty feet. Before reaching the desert, 
we came to two inlets of the Nile, where the water 
and mud were so deep, that it was impossible to 
cross them on our donkeys ; and, as we could not 
go round them, there was no alternative but to be 
carried over on men's shoulders. Some twenty 
stout Arabs were there, ready, for a small back- 
sheesh, to officiate as carriers. 

It seemed a perilous undertaking, especially for 
those of our party who were none of the lightest ; 
for the water came up to the waist, and the mud 
below was knee deep ; so that the men could with 



PYRAMIDS. 51 

difficulty move in it ; one mis-step would have been 
fatal to their precious burden. 

However, determining to make the venture, we 
mounted the half-naked Arabs' shoulders, and were 
borne safely across ; not without much fear and 
trembling, during the operation, but with shouts of 
laughter, after it was over. 

The next thing was to get the donkeys across; 
but they, poor fellows, were less fortunate than their 
masters. The water and mud were too deep for 
them, and several of them became so mired that they 
were with difficulty rescued. 

In two hours and a half, from the time we left our 
hotel, we were at the pyramids; and to say they 
more than realized our expectations, would be but a 
faint expression of our feelings. Indeed, no words 
of mine can describe the emotions of veneration, and 
awe, with which I gazed on these stupendous struc- 
tures, the labour of generations of men who lived 
four thousand years ago. The three most consider- 
able ones were built about the same period; the 
largest, that of Cheops, B. C. 2123; that is, two hun- 
dred years before the time of Abraham, and eleven 
hundred years before the reign of Solomon. Each 
side of the great pyramid measures six hundred 
and forty-six feet, and its base covers an area of 
thirteen acres ; its present height, for its apex has 
been taken off, is four hundred and sixty feet. The 



52 PYRAMID OF CHEOPS. 

dimensions of the second pyramid are nearly the 
same as the first; not varying from it more than forty 
or fifty feet, in any of its measurements. The third 
is much smaller; being three hundred and thirty- 
three feet square, and two hundred feet high. But 
mere figures can convey a very imperfect idea of 
their exceeding grandeur, their amazing elevation, 
and the enormous magnitude of the stones which 
are here piled together. 

They are built of sandstone, and were originally 
cased with granite; the exterior presenting a smooth 
surface ; but the outer coatings have been torn off, in 
past ages, and carried to Cairo to erect mosques and 
other public edifices. Their sides, therefore, are 
jagged and broken, having the appearance, at a little 
distance, of vast flights of stone stairs, the largest 
layers of stone being at the base. 

As you stand at the foot of the pyramid of Cheops, 
and look up, your eye being at an angle with its tri- 
angular plane, you cannot perceive any inequalities 
in the surface, where a foothold might be obtained; 
and wonder that any person should attempt to climb 
it. In like manner, when at the top, with the same 
angle of vision, looking down, the surface appears 
so smooth, that it seems as if one false step would 
whirl you to the bottom. But there is realty no 
danger, nor any other difficulty, than that which is 
presented by the irregularities of size in the stones 



PYRAMID OF CHEOPS. 



53 



that compose the several layers. These, as I have 
said, rise like so many steps ; and they vary in 
height, from two to six feet. 

It is no easy matter to climb up a succession of 
stone steps, many of which present a perpendicular 
front of five or six feet. We knew, however, that we 
could do what many others had done ; and so we 
started for the summit; some twelve or fourteen 
Arabs insisting on going as guides, and to assist us 
in climbing when necessary. It seemed to be a con- 
test who should first attain the summit. As each 
one of our party reached the top, the Arabs shouted 
" Allah is good !" and joined the successful Franks 
in giving three hearty cheers. When the lady came 
up, she was greeted with three times three, and our 
American flag, which we had purchased in Malta, to 
take with us up the Nile, was placed in her hands, 
that she might be the first to wave its stars and 
stripes over the highest point of the great pyramid. 
We found the ascent much less fatiguing and diffi- 
cult than that of the cone of Mount Vesuvius. The 
removal of the apex of the pyramid of Cheops, has 
left an area of thirty-two feet square, so that there 
was ample room for our whole party, twenty-five in 
all, including fourteen guides, our dragoman, and 
some Arab boys, who carried up bottles of water for 
our refreshment. A half hour before, " forty cen- 
turies" were " looking down" on us ; we could now 



54 THE SPHINX. 

look down on the " forty centuries," and around on 
that vast circumference, of which they formed the 
centre. The view was truly magnificent; embracing 
a wider range of horizon than I had ever seen from 
any point before; and probably more extensive than 
can be found anywhere else. 

To the west, stretched away, far as the eye could 
see, the great Sahara, or Libyan Desert ; to the 
south, just on the edge of the sky, we could per- 
ceive the pyramids of Sakkarah and Dashoor; to the 
east and north, the eye wandered over a landscape 
of surpassing richness and beauty, lying in the val- 
ley and delta of the Nile, with its groves of palm, 
and fields burdened with vegetation ; while in the 
distance might be seen Cairo, the Grand, with its 
many mosques, and minarets, and domes ; and, far 
beyond, the desert mountains of Arabia. 

We lingered long to enjoy the enchanting scene, 
and then reluctantly began our descent, which was 
accomplished in ten or twelve minutes, and with 
comparative ease. 

About four hundred yards from the pyramid of 
Cheops, is the colossal Sphinx, with its enormous 
head and neck rising above the ground, but its 
body mostly buried in the sand. It has been within 
a few years dug out ; but the sands of the desert 
soon covered it again. We found a few Arabs, 
under the direction of a French gentleman, busy in 



CAIRO. 



55 



clearing away the sand, and they had succeeded in 
laying bare the front and one side of the figure ; but 
their progress was very slow. The dimensions of 
this huge idol, carved out of the natural rock, are, 
height sixty-three feet, length one hundred and 
forty-three feet, and the circumference around the 
forehead, one hundred and two feet ; at least so say 
the guide books. From a hieroglyphic inscription 
upon it, it is probable that it was made by order of 
Thothmes III., B. 0. 1490, the Pharaoh in whose 
reign the Exodus of the Israelites took place. 

Future discoveries may determine with more 
certainty, by whom, and for what purpose, this re- 
markable figure of an imaginary animal was sculp- 
tured. Leaving these mighty monuments of the 
desert in their lonely and undecaying grandeur, 
we returned to Cairo by a more circuitous route, 
and reached the city a little after five. Thus in one 
short day we had witnessed a world of wonders, the 
memory of which can never be effaced. 

Jan. 8. This is our first Sunday in a Mohammedan 
city; and we felt it a precious privilege to unite 
with other Protestant Christians, from distant lands, 
in the English Church Service, at the little chapel 
where the Eev. Mr. Lieder of the London Church 
Missionary Society officiates. Mr. Lieder has been 
for many years a missionary to the Coptic Chris- 



56 



CAIRO. 



tians, whom he aims to enlighten and elevate, by 
means of schools for their children, and the general 
distribution of the Scriptures. 

He is aided by his excellent lady in this great 
work. Mr. and Mrs. Lieders extensive knowledge 
of the East, and their long residence in Cairo, ena- 
ble them to render important service to travellers 
going up the Nile, or through the desert. We had 
letters to them, and take great pleasure in recording 
their kindness to us. 



CHAPTEE III. 



THE NILE; CAIRO TO THEBES. 

Jan. 10. Our Dragoman, Hassanein, Bedouin, as 
he proudly calls himself, on account of his pure 
Arab blood, for twenty-five years a resident in 
Cairo, who has had large experience as a guide to 
travellers through the East, has been busily en- 
gaged the last five or six days in preparations for 
our voyage up the Nile. We have made a contract 
with him to take Mr. and Mrs. Gilpin, and our- 
selves, up to Thebes and back to Cairo in thirty 
days, allowing us to stop eight full days when and 
where we please. He is to furnish everything, for 
a specific sum; boat, men, and provisions, and pay 
all expenses on the way, and at the various stop- 
ping places, for guides, guards, donkeys and back- 
sheesh. A copy of our contract, which may be useful 
to other travellers as a guide, may be seen in the 
appendix. "We are provided with letters, procured 
by Mr. Gilpin, from the authorities in Cairo, ad- 
dressed to the governors of the Upper Provinces, 
6 



58 



NILE BOAT. 



and the Sheiks of the towns, commanding them to 
show us all possible attention, respect, and aid. 

We have selected a first class boat of sufficient 
size, and comfortable accommodations. It is im- 
portant, in choosing a boat, to take the smallest and 
lightest that will accommodate the party, as it is more 
easily managed, can be towed more swiftly, and is 
less liable to get aground on the sandbars, which 
every where obstruct the navigation. Our boat is 
about seventy-five feet long, and fifteen feet wide, 
having one large mast in the bow, with an immense 
lateen-sail, and a smaller mast and sail at the stern. 
The cabin, which occupies about one-third of the 
length, is divided into three apartments, two of 
which are state-rooms, with sleeping berths on each 
side, and the third answers for both dining and sit- 
ting-room. 

In front of these is a neat little veranda, a nice 
place for reading, or enjoying the scenery of the 
river. Near the foremast is the caboose, the pro- 
vince of our Ethiopian cook, who has been so often 
with parties of travellers, that he knows well how 
to suit the taste of the Franks. The rest of the 
boat, while going up the Nile, is covered with a 
canvass awning ; but in descending, this is taken 
down, and a long hatchway, midships, is opened to 
make room for the rowers. Our Arab crew con- 
sists of a u Beis,*' or captain, a pilot, twelve men, 



NILE BOAT. 



59 



Solyman, the cook — and a wise man he is, in his 
department — Hassan, the waiter, two others as as- 
sistants, and Hassanein, who is the commander-in- 
chief under us ; nineteen Arabs in all ; making, to- 
gether with our party, and Mr. Gilpin's courier, 
twenty-four persons. 

It is a singular fact, that no less than fifteen of 
our crew had their right hands mutilated by the 
loss of the first joints of the forefinger. They had 
been cut off, generally in infancy, to disqualify 
them from becoming soldiers. Frequently the right 
eye is put out for the same purpose ; so great is 
the dread of being compelled to enter the Pasha's 
army. 

As every passenger boat on the Nile has a name 
given it, for the time, we have named ours the 
" Keystone." The names of all the boats are entered 
in a book at Sheppard's Hotel, with the private 
signals, and the names of the passengers ; a great 
convenience to those who follow, as it enables them 
to recognize a boat and its party, by the signal 
which is always kept floating at the masthead. 
Ours is now there, and, with it, waves the " star 
spangled banner;" — at two o'clock we are off for 
Upper Egypt. 

Jan. 16. We have now been six days on the Nile, 
and yet, in consequence of the strong head winds 



60 



BENISOOEF. 



and rapid current, notwithstanding the untiring in- 
dustry and energy of our able-bodied crew, we have 
not accomplished quite eighty miles. 

On the day of our departure from Boulak, the 
port of Cairo, we stopped for the night at Gizeh, 
opposite the great Pyramids. The next night we 
reached Massarah, where are the extensive quarries 
w r hich furnished the Egyptians, four thousand years 
ago, with the materials for building Memphis ; and 
which still supply stone for the edifices of Cairo. 

The next day, we passed successively the pyra- 
mids of Abooseer, Sakkara, and Dashoor ; and on the 
13th reached El Ghomeir, opposite to which is that 
remarkable structure called the " false pyramid." 
Unlike all the others, it is built in stories ; and not 
only on that account, but from the peculiar manner 
in which the stones are laid, its whole appearance is 
very singular. To-day, we arrived at Benisooef, the 
capital of the province, or beylik, of that name, and 
the residence of the governor. As this was the first 
large town on the Nile that we had come to, we 
thought we would pay our respects to the Bey, and 
see something of Eastern life in its higher walks ; 
so, with our Arabic letters from Cairo, and with 
Hassanein as our guide and interpreter, we took our 
way to the palace, which is pleasantly situated at 
the north of the town, immediately on the bank of 
the river. Handing our credentials to the guard at 



VISIT TO THE BEY. 



61 



the gate, we were ushered, with clue formality, into 
the presence of his excellency, a good-looking man, 
about forty years of age, seated upon a divan, smok- 
ing his pipe, with his officers and attendants sitting 
on carpets beside him. He received us very gra- 
ciously, ordered chairs to be brought for us, and 
pipes and coffee to be handed around. Our inter- 
view lasted half an hour, in which he asked many 
questions about our country and its institutions; 
and evinced a knowledge which quite surprised us. 
Among other things, he asked whether our govern- 
ment intended to connect the Atlantic and Pacific by 
a railroad, or by a canal, across the isthmus. "We 
told him we hoped they would do both ; he said that 
would be a great matter. He very kindly offered 
to render us any aid in his power; and gave us, un- 
solicited, a letter, written with his own hand, to the 
sheiks in his province. On taking our leave of this 
intelligent and agreeable Turk, we expressed a hope 
that we might see him in America ; but he shook 
his head, and said that it was a land too far off for 
him to visit. 

It may be thought that a voyage up the Nile, with 
so many obstacles as the current, sand bars, and 
head winds present, would be very tedious. Many 
perhaps find it so ; but such is not our experience 
thus far, although our progress the first two days 
was but twelve miles, and the average, for six days 

6* 



62 NILE LIFE. 

together, has been only thirteen miles per day ; and 
that by hard towing, rowing, and poling. 

But or boat is so comfortable, we witness so many 
novel scenes, and have so many resources within 
ourselves, that the time seldom hangs heavily. Our 
library, of about one hundred volumes, many of which 
we borrowed in Cairo, contains a very choice selection 
of miscellaneous reading, and of modern works on 
Egypt, with numerous maps and guide-books, which 
my friend and companion has liberally provided. I 
agree with him in the opinion, that no party of 
travellers have ever taken with them, on this tour, a 
more valuable collection than ours. The climate is 
most delicious ; the sky bright and clear continu- 
ally, for it never rains. Mid-day is sometimes rather 
warm ; but the mornings and evenings are cool, and 
a splendid moon, now at her full, with countless 
stars, more brilliant than those of other skies, tempt 
us to linger on deck, long after the sun has sunk 
behind the Libyan hills. Our boat is usually moored 
to the bank at night near some village ; and four 
Arabs are sent by the Sheik of the town to guard 
her; he being responsible to us for any loss or injury. 

Should the wind be fair, and sufficiently strong to 
resist the current, we continue our course through 
the night. We rise with the dawn, breakfast at 
nine, dine at three, and take tea at six. We have 
daily family prayers in our little saloon ; and y ester- 



EGYPT'S ANCIENT GLORY. 63 

day, being Sunday, we had the full service for the 
day. Our table is bountifully supplied with mutton, 
turkeys, and pigeons ; and William, and John Mus- 
cat, with their fowling pieces, daily procure us many 
dishes of delicate birds. 

The fruit of the country, oranges, dates, figs, and 
bananas, are abundant and very cheap; though, it is 
said, they are much higher than usual, owing to 
oppression and bad government, which paralyze all 
effort to cultivate the soil. This is, indeed, a down- 
trodden people ; and Egypt has become, as prophecy 
foretold, "the basest of kingdoms."* 

Its present population is supposed to be less than 
two millions; not half as great as it was two hundred 
years ago. As you pass up the Nile, it is difficult 
to conceive that on its banks were formerly magnifi- 
cent cities, which have so entirely disappeared, that 
not a trace of them can be seen ; that this narrow 
valley, which the river seems to have reclaimed from 
the desert, was once the glory of all lands, the cradle 
of science, the fountain of light and learning, whence 
came the wisdom of ancient Greece and Eome ; that 
it was the granary of the world, from whose over- 
flowing storehouses the nations of the earth were 
fed. The length of the valley, from the first cata- 
ract to the Mediterranean Sea, is about six hundred 



* Ezek. xxix. 15, and chap. xxx. 



64 



VALLEY OF THE NILE. 



miles ; the width of it, above Cairo, varies from three 
to ten miles ; its average width being five and a half 
miles ; and this, with the delta, which spreads out 
broadly to the sea, is Egypt. 

On either side of this narrow valley is a barren, 
boundless waste of sand ; on the east, the Arabian, 
on the west, the Libyan desert, which oftentimes 
come down to the very borders of the river, and, 
with their moving masses, threaten to bury up the 
soil which yet remains. It is a great mystery how 
a river, about one mile wide, through all that part of 
its course which we saw, running at the rate of four 
miles an hour, through mountains and deserts, and 
under a tropical sun, can bring down such a mass 
of waters from the equator, without receiving a sin- 
gle tributary, for thirteen hundred and fifty miles. 
How must the windows of heaven be opened at its 
fountain-head! And what a deluge must be poured 
forth on hill and valley, to supply a stream like this ; 
annually to raise it more than twenty feet, so as to 
overflow its banks, and make the whole of Egypt 
one vast inland sea ! 

The water of the Nile is turbid, but may be made 
clear by filtration, and is very pleasant and healthful. 
It resembles, in appearance and taste, the water of 
the Mississippi. The land, wherever cultivated, has 
no rest ; there is no cessation- of crops ; one is taken 
off, and another immediately planted; and two or 



PROCESS OF IRRIGATION. 



65 



three crops are gathered from each field, the same 
year. Cotton, rice, sugar-cane, tobacco, indigo, 
wheat, barley, Indian corn, grow luxuriantly; but 
need constant irrigation by artificial means, when 
the river is down. 

To facilitate the process of irrigation, the fields 
are divided into small square portions, by raising 
ridges of earth, a few inches high, around each ; thus 
giving the whole field the appearance of a great 
chess-board. The water is conducted from the re- 
servoir, on the river's bank, by a drain running the 
whole length of the field, and is made to flow into 
each of these small apartments, successively, until 
the whole has been laid under water for a sufficient 
time ; it is then shut off, until, after a few weeks, 
another irrigation becomes necessary, when the same 
process is repeated. One thing in this method of 
watering the land struck me very forcibly, as a 
beautiful illustration of that Scripture phrase, " The 
land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as 
the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where 
thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, 
as a garden of herbs."* 

The water having been permitted to flow into one 
division, and to stand a few minutes, till the ground 
had sufficiently absorbed it, was then made to flow 



* Deut. xi. 10. 



66 



SCENERY. 



into the next, by the Arab fellah breaking down 
the slight barrier with his foot ; and so he went on, 
from one to the other, making a passage with his foot 
for the water, until every portion of the field had 
been covered. I cannot doubt that this is what is 
meant in Scripture, by watering the land with the 
foot. 

The scenery, for the most part, below the cataracts, 
is tame, but presents a much greater variety than 
might be supposed, from the fact that boundless 
deserts of sand are on both sides of it. Sometimes, 
indeed, the mountains of Arabia press so close upon 
the river, that their lofty naked cliffs overhang it; 
then these recede, and the Libyan mountains draw 
near; and so, one or the other, in turn, gives grandeur 
and sublimity to the landscape. But, where the 
land is richest, and most highly cultivated, there you 
see most clearly the depressed condition of the peo- 
ple. They have nothing to stimulate their industry; 
fof they toil only for their masters. The poor fellah 
has no right in the soil ; and when the crop has 
matured by the sweat of his brow, i; The extortioner 
consumes all that he hath;" "the stranger spoils his 
labour/' 

X othing can be more wretched than their villages, 
which are only a collection of mud huts, eight or ten 
feet high. "When forty or fifty of these are stuck 
together, they look like one great heap of clay, or a 



VILLAGES. 67 

large kiln of unburned bricks, piled up to dry in the 
sun. Around the entrances to these, you see lazy, 
idle men, smoking their chebooks, and troops of 
squalid children, *and half starved dogs, basking in 
the sun ; but nowhere do you see a single house, 
belonging to the poorer class, that has an air of 
comfort about it ; none that would compare with the 
poorest cottage in our land. 

At the more considerable towns, there is sometimes 
a show of life and activity; large boats are moored at 
the bank, to take in the produce of the country, and 
carry it to Cairo or Alexandria ; caravans have come 
in across the desert with merchandise; and numerous 
camels, loaded with grain or other produce, are 
kneeling to have their burdens removed ; herds of 
buffaloes are standing in the water to cool themselves; 
women are washing clothes at the river, or filling 
water jars and bearing them away on their heads. 

These are sights common to all the principal towns 
upon the Nile; and notwithstanding their oppressions, 
and their abject poverty, the people appear contented 
and happy. A more cheerful, good-natured set of 
men, than the Arabs on our boat, can nowhere be 
found. They toil hard all day, with the utmost 
patience ; dragging the boat, which is very heavy, 
against the rapid current ; and when she is aground, 
spending hours in the water, often up to their 
shoulders, to get her afloat; eating nothing during 



68 TOIL AND CHEERFULNESS. 

the day but hard black bread, with occasionally the 
luxury of a bit of cheese, or an onion ; at night, 
kindling a fire of brushwood on the bank, spending 
the whole evening in singing away their cares and 
sorrows, if they have any, and dancing to the mono- 
tonous music of their own instruments ; then lying 
down on the bare ground, with only their scanty 
clothes for a covering, to get a few hours' sleep, and 
before the stars have disappeared in the morning, 
they are up and ready for another day's toil. And 
what is their compensation for all this ? Their wages 
is two piastres, ten cents, a day, and they find their 
own provisions. And these men have left families 
behind them in Cairo. 

I asked Hassanein how much he paid four Arabs 
to guard our boat, when we stopped for the night; 
he said, " Four piastres for all of them ;" equal to 
five cents each, for watching through the whole 
night. The fear of punishment, if not the hope of 
reward, would keep them awake, as their master, 
the Sheik, was responsible for their fidelity. If any 
one of the labouring poor, among my own country- 
men, should read this book, let him bless God for 
the better land in which his lot is cast; and when- 
ever disposed to murmur or repine, let him think of 
the poor Arab of the Nile. 

The wind being fair, we had a fine run to-day of 
thirty miles to Bibbeh. 



COPTIC CONVENT. 



69 



Jan. 17. Unfortunately our boat sprung a leak, 
and we were detained at Bibbeh a few hours in the 
morning, for repairs. It proved to be nothing very 
serious ; some of the oakum had decayed and fallen 
out, but was easily replaced by one of our men 
diving underneath the boat, and remaining long 
enough to calk a portion of the seams ; this process 
was continued, until the boat was made perfectly 
tight again. All the Arabs on the river are expert 
swimmers, and are able to continue under water for 
a long time. Our progress this day was twenty -four 
miles, with a fair wind, to Aboo-Azees ; and the 
day following, January 18th, we ran forty-one miles 
to Kohm Ahmar, passing Grebel-e-Tayr, the " moun- 
tain of the birds," and keeping company with two 
English boats, as far as Minieh. 

A Coptic Convent stands on the lofty summit of 
Gebel-d-Tayr, whose inmates are noted as most im- 
portunate beggars. They salute every European 
boat which passes, with a piteous cry for charity; 
and numbers of them descend from the steep cliffs, 
and swim off to solicit alms. Some of them clung 
to the sides of our boat, while in the middle of the 
river, and under press of sail, for nearly an hour, 
with the perseverance of Neapolitan mendicants. 

On approaching Minieh, we observed three small 
steamers lying at the bank, which had brought 
Abbas Pasha and his suite down the Nile ; and hav- 
7 



70 



MINIEH. 



ing landed them here for a few hours, were now 
receiving them on board again. The boats were 
covered with gay flags ; but there were no stirring 
bands of music, nor any cheering, which one ex- 
pects to hear on an occasion like this. As we 
passed, Hassanein showed all possible respect to the 
Pasha, by firing a salute from his two pistols, and 
his double-barrelled gun. 

Minieh is a market town of some considerable 
importance. It has a large sugar manufactory 
belonging to the Pasha, superintended by an En- 
glishman, who, seeing our flag, came on board and 
kindly invited us to his house, and expressed a wish 
that we should inspect his works. "We felt great 
regret at being obliged to decline his invitation ; 
and the more so, when he told us that he and his 
wife had been living there sixteen months, without 
having any intercourse with the inhabitants, except 
by an interpreter ; as there were none in the town, 
besides themselves 3 who understood English. How 
lonely a life theirs must be ! 

Jan. 19. At noon to-day we were opposite Beni 
Hassan, where are some of the oldest and most 
interesting catacombs of the ancient Egyptians, 
excavated in the rocky hills which overhang the 
Nile. These we hope to visit on our return. At 
Pieramoon, a neat looking town, twenty-one miles 



A PLEASANT MEETING-. 



71 



above, the Pasha has another large sugar manufac- 
tory. We approached it at the close of clay, when 
a train of two hundred camels, marching single file, 
loaded with sugar-cane, was seen on the bank, their 
forms depicted on the edge of the western horizon. 
It was indeed a beautiful sight. The rich green 
fields, the tall and graceful palms, the smooth wide 
spreading river, the villages embowered in trees, the 
long line of camels, extending for half a mile, march- 
ing with slow and measured pace, the whole land- 
scape lighted up with a glorious sunset, such as is 
seldom seen anywhere but in Egypt, presented alto- 
gether a picture so calm and lovely, that it cannot 
soon be forgotten. 

Jan. 21. We hailed an American boat to-day, 
bound down the river, which we knew, from the 
private signal, belonged to a New York family, who 
had crossed the Atlantic with Mr. Gilpin and his 
lady. They hove to on the eastern shore, to enable 
us to go on board their boat, where we passed a very 
pleasant half hour, giving them the latest European 
news ; and they, in return, telling us what was go- 
ing on in Upper Egypt. 

As we ascend the river, the scenery becomes more 
varied and interesting; the land is better cultivated, 
and there are more objects to attract our attention. 
We are now in the region of crocodiles, and are 



72 



FLOCKS OF BIRDS. 



hourly on the lookout for them. We see myriads 
of wild geese, ducks, cranes, and ibises. A few 
evenings since, we saw some thousands of large 
white pelicans, flying in successive flocks, and alight- 
ing, for the night, on an island of sand near to us. 
Y\e first saw them far off on the horizon, like a 
cloud ; and watched their approach, until flock after 
flock came up to their resting-place; and as they 
each, in turn, sailed round and round, in their gra- 
dual and graceful descent, their broad wings and snow 
white plumage reflecting the rays of the setting sun, 
we thought that few sights could be more beautiful 
than this. As each company joined its fellows and 
they nestled up together, they, all seemed to express 
their pleasure in noisy congratulations. 

Many of the trees, which we now see, are different 
from those which grow further down ; the sont, or 
acanthus, which yields the gum Arabic, and the dom- 
tree, or Theban palm, are among the finest of these. 

The ranges of sandstone mountains of Libj^a on 
the one side, and those of Arabia on the other, often 
press to the edge of the river, and overhang it with 
their precipitous cliffs. These mountains are per- 
forated with quarries, mummy pits, catacombs, and 
grottoes, to an extraordinary degree. Some of these 
were places of sepulture for the inhabitants of 
ancient cities ; others were burying-places for croco- 
diles, wolves, dogs, and ibises; animals held sacred 



MANFALOOT. 



by the Egyptians. Immense numbers of the croco- 
dile mummy pits are found at Maab-deh, a village 
which we passed to-day. On the opposite shore is 
Manfaloot, once a large town, and even now has a 
market, many good buildings, and a governor's 
palace ; but the Nile runs over the spot where the 
principal part of the city stood, and threatens soon 
to destroy what remains. The lofty bank, into 
which the river has eaten, presents a sad scene of 
desolation, in the ruins of fallen, or falling, houses 
and mosques ; some of which show the one half of 
a building standing, ready to topple down, to where 
the other half lies buried in the gulf below. And 
this is the way, no doubt, that many of the old cities 
have been destroyed, of which no vestige remains. 
No trace of their former sites can be found, because 
the river continues to flow over them ; or has buried 
them under a deposit of mud ; thus cutting out for 
itself a new channel, and destroying other and more 
modern cities in their turn. Manfaloot is half-way 
between Cairo and Thebes. 

Jan. 22. Early this morning we found that, dur- 
ing the night, we had reached El Hamna, the port of 
Osioot. 

We had morning service on board, as on last Sun- 
day. There were four of us to unite in it ; enough 
to secure for us the promise of the Divine Eedeemer, 

7* 



74 



OSIOOT. 



" where two or three are gathered together in my 
name, there am I in the midst of them;' Our in- 
comparable Liturgy never appears so precious, as 
when we are far away from the sanctuaries, where 
we have been accustomed to its daily use. It was a 
comfort to think that our blessed Lord was fulfilling 
his promise, of being in the midst of every Chris- 
tian assembly, great and small, by his presence with 
us, in the land of Ham, and by his presence, at the 
same time, with my family and flock at home. 

Osioot, the ancient Lycopolis, according to Wil- 
kinson, is the largest and best built town of the 
Saeed, or Upper Egypt, of which it is the capital. 
It stands a short distance from the river ; and its 
position, with several gardens in its vicinity, is 
greatly in its favour. 

It has a population of about twenty thousand, 
and is the residence of the governor, who has a 
palace here, built by Ibrahim Pasha, when he was 
the governor. The present governor, Abdallah Bey, 
is building for himself a new palace, not far from 
the town. Mr. Gilpin and my son called upon him, 
and were gratified with their interview ; they thought 
him a fine-looking Turk, very affable in his manners, 
and quite pleased with the attention and respect 
shown him by their visit. 

Pipes and coffee were brought in by his attend- 
ants, and, having read our firman from the Grand 



ABDALLAH BEY. 75 

Divan of Cairo, expressed his great gratification at 
all times, in seeing American and English travellers. 
" For," said he, " they give us no trouble, and spend 
their money here;" two very satisfactory reasons, 
certainly, where the government is so despotic and 
poor as this. He made many inquiries about our 
journey, and tendered any aid in his power to ren- 
der it more agreeable ; offering us his own boat, if 
ours was not sufficiently large and comfortable. 
My friend thanked him for his kindness, and said 
that ours was quite large and commodious enough, 
but that we were greatly in want of a small boat to 
take with us up the Nile. He immediately tendered 
his own, and said that his secretary should see that 
we had it at once. 

In a short time, his secretary, a handsome, richly- 
dressed Nubian, with a skin black and glossy as 
polished ebony, but with no marks of the negro 
about him except colour, came with the small boat ; 
bringing also an invitation from Abdallah Bey, for 
all of us to come and dine with him. The secretary 
pressed the invitation, with the assurance that we 
should get a good dinner ; we did not doubt that, 
but were obliged to decline the honour, as our time 
was precious, the wind favourable, and we anxious 
to press on towards Thebes. 

It was market day ; and the bazaars were densely 
crowded. On passing the gate of the city, where 



76 MARKET DAT. 

two sentinels were on guard, and proceeding to the 
great square, the Kadi, or Judge, of Osioot was 
seated, according to ancient custom, administering 
justice in a primitive and summary, manner. On one 
side of the market-place, some splendid Arabian 
horses were exhibited for sale. In the bazaars, all 
was hubbub, as usual in Turkish towns, on market- 
days. The streets of Osioot, like all other towns 
of Egypt, are unpaved and narrow ; and the crowds 
so dense, that the donkey -boys could not, without 
great difficulty, force a passage through. Here, as 
in the bazaars of Cairo, the women were engaged in 
embroidering shawls, caps, and slippers, and in other 
nice handiwork ; w r hile the men were occupied in 
their several trades. The place is particularly cele- 
brated for the manufacture of pipe-bowls of a supe- 
rior kind ; immense numbers of which are sent to 
the markets below. It was so late when we left 
Osioot, that we only reached El Motmar, eight miles 
above, where are great numbers of the sont, or 
acacia Nilotica, the acanthus producing the gum. 

Jan. 23. This has been what "William calls a 
" towing and poling day;" in which, with the utmost 
exertions of our whole crew, from morning till night, 
we have made but eight miles, to the little town 
Koos-Kam ; opposite to Gow El Kebeer, the ancient 
Antaeopolis; where, according to the legend, Hercules 



SLAVE BOAT. 



77 



strangled the giant Anteeus. Tt was from the remains 
of the ancient temple here, that Ibrahim Pasha, when 
governor of Upper Egypt, built his palace at Osioot. 
While our men were engaged in their toilsome 
labour, William, with Hassanein and John, took 
Abdallah Bey's boat, and rowed away on a shooting 
excursion. They returned with quite a bunch of 
birds, which Solyman converted into savoury dishes. 

Many large boats are constantly passing us on their 
way down the river, loaded with wheat, dates, and 
other products of the upper country. One of these, 
of immense size, filled with grain, contained, it was 
said, not less than fifteen thousand bushels. On an- 
other, loaded with dates from Nubia, which passed 
near to us, there were many slaves, apparently quite 
young, sitting on the deck, talking and laughing as 
if they were on an excursion of pleasure. Ethiopian 
parents frequently sell their children into slavery ; 
and these are taken to Cairo, and employed as house- 
hold servants. 

We have now been three weeks in Egypt, and in 
that time only a few drops of rain have fallen, not 
enough to sprinkle the deck of our boat ; yet the crops, 
by constant irrigation, look fresh and vigorous, as if 
fertilizing showers had fallen upon them every day. 
I gathered some heads of barley, in which the grain 
was nearly matured ; in two weeks, it will be ready 
for the reaper. With a country of such surpassing 



78 



d6m palm. 



fertility, how sad it is to think that the inhabitants 
must continue in abject poverty, with no prospect of 
bettering their condition, until an entire change takes 
place in their civil institutions ! 

Jan. 26. Our progress for the last few days has 
been much more rapid than heretofore; a strong wind 
driving us forward against the rapid current, at the 
rate of fifty miles a day. We passed Eknim, the 
site of the ancient Panopolis, and Grirgeh, once the 
capital of Upper Egypt. With such a climate, and 
such scenery, and with a favourable wind, nothing 
can be more delightful than sailing up the Nile. 

We have seen great numbers of the large white 
pelicans, with their bright yellow bills and huge 
pouches, swimming gracefully as swans upon the 
river, and quite undisturbed at our approach. We 
have not yet seen any crocodiles; though some of 
our men thought they espied several at a distance, 
sunning themselves on a sand-bank ; but they dis- 
appeared, without giving us a chance to look at 
them. 

The dom, or Theban palm, here grows very 
abundantly, and is more ornamental than the date 
palm ; as it spreads out into numerous branches, 
and forms quite a shade. One of our men climbed 
a dom tree, and cut a cluster of the fruit, which is 
now ripe. It hangs in large bunches of twenty or 



AKABIAN MOUNTAINS. 



79 



thirty together, each resembling a miniature cocoa- 
nut, about three inches in diameter. The outer 
coating has the taste of dry gingerbread, and is 
eaten by the common people; the inner nut is a 
species of vegetable ivory, and may be converted 
by the turner into many useful and ornamental 
articles. 

The villages in this part of Upper Egypt are 
much better built than those lower down. The 
houses are of clay, ten or twelve feet high, and 
above each is a second story, or tower, built ex- 
pressly for a dove cote, as roomy as the house be- 
low ; consequently, in every village, you see myriads 
of pigeons, which feed upon the scattered grain in 
the wheat and barley fields. The young pigeons 
are delicious food, and can be bought for a trifling 
sum. 

For the last day or two the range of the Arabian 
mountains has been quite near to us ; in many in- 
stances coming close down to the river. The lofty, 
perpendicular cliffs form an effectual barrier against 
the encroachment of the desert. They are unlike 
any mountains in our own country, I have ever 
seen; being a bright brown sandstone, with not a 
particle of vegetation on their sides or summits. 
On passing yesterday a mountain range where, for 
several miles, the rocks rose almost perpendicularly 
from the river's brink, to the height of several hun- 



80 



A MAN OVERBOARD. 



dred feet, the wind blowing a gale, one of our men, 
in attempting to reef the sail, fell overboard ; and 
we had left him a mile or two behind before we 
could heave to. Like all Arabs of the Nile, he was 
a good swimmer, and throwing off his shirt, his 
only garment, he reached the shore in safety, and 
took refuge beneath the crags, until we sent our 
small boat for him. A spare shirt from a fellow 
sailor replaced his wardrobe, and one of our party 
promised him a new. garment, worth a dollar, so 
soon as we reached a market town. The promise of 
such a present more than compensated him for his 
ducking and his loss. A very little satisfies these 
poor fellows. "When we stop at night, after all the 
toils of the day, they are made as happy as kings, 
by a present of a kettle of rice, or the remains of 
our own dinner, in addition to their usual meal of 
dry hard bread. They come up and ask to kiss our 
hands, and make every demonstration of gratitude 
for the most trifling act of kindness. 

But a far more grievous loss than that of the 
shirt, to our musical Arabs, was the smashing of 
their earthen drum, by the flapping of the sail. A 
new shirt could be bought at the next town, but the 
drum could not be replaced, this side of Cairo. 

Jan. 28. Yesterday we stopped at Keneh, a con- 
siderable town, the residence of a provincial gov- 



KENEH — BALL AS. 



81 



ernor. It is celebrated for its manufacture of porous 
water jars, which are in general use in Egypt, for 
filtering the water, and keeping it cool. Small po- 
rous bottles, called Goollehs, the size of a decanter, 
are made here in great numbers, and are very con- 
venient and useful for the table, in a hot climate ; 
the clay of which they are manufactured abounds in 
this neighbourhood, which is, I believe, the only part 
of Egypt where it is found. Opposite Keneh are 
the extensive ruins of Denderah, which we hope to 
visit on our return. 

Ballas, ten miles above, is as famous for its manu- 
facture of common earthen, as Keneh is for its po- 
rous, water jars ; and has given the name Ballasee to 
these articles, which all the women of Egypt use for 
carrying water. Each jar holds six or eight gal- 
lons ; yet it can be bought for one piastre, or about 
five cents. Large rafts, formed entirely of these 
jars, fastened together with the stems of palm leaves, 
are floated down to Cairo. We passed more than 
twenty such rafts, at one time; each containing 
about three thousand jars. 

Fourteen miles above Ballas the wind failed us, 
and we landed at Negadeh, a dreary, desolate look- 
ing village, containing about two thousand five 
hundred Coptic Christians. It is in a plain of sur- 
passing fertility, yet the inhabitants live in the most 
abject poverty. We went to see the little old Cop- 
8 



82 



ARRIVAL AT THEBES. 



tic church and convent, quite curiosities in their 
way, followed by a host of men, women, and chil- 
dren, attracted by the novelty of three Franks ap- 
pearing among them ; a sight rarely seen. Their 
numbers increased as we advanced, until it seemed 
as if the whole population were at our heels ; the 
younger portion appearing particularly interested in 
my son, whom they called the "little Howadji." 
The whole troop followed us wherever we went, nor 
did any of them leave us, until they had seen us on 
board of our boat again. 

Jan. 29. This is our third Sunday on the Nile, 
since leaving Cairo ; and again our little company 
of " two or three were gathered together," to unite 
in the services of the day; and all, I trust, joined in 
spirit with those at home, whose prayer and praise 
were offered up in the same form of sound words. 

"We spent the night at Gramola, eighteen miles 
above Negadeh, our last stopping place. 

Jan. 30. At eight o'clock this morning, after a 
voyage of twenty days from Cairo, we found our- 
selves at the great point of attraction, that which 
brings all travellers to Upper Egypt, the ruins of 
ancient Thebes. Our passage had been several days 
longer than we had expected, yet not so long as 
some others who preceded us. Twelve boats, Ameri- 



SCRIPTURE PROPHECIES. 



83 



can, English, and French, were lying here on our 
arrival. There have been this season thirty-eight 
passenger boats in all up the Nile, averaging three 
passengers each; fourteen were American boats, 
having on board eight ladies and forty gentlemen ; 
sixteen were English, but there were no ladies in 
these. Of the remaining eight boats, six, I think, 
were French, one Austrian, and one Eussian. We 
have now traversed nearly the whole length of 
Egypt, from north to south, following the course of 
the Nile from Alexandria to this place, a distance of 
more than six hundred miles. 

It is one of the lands of the Bible ; and, next to 
Palestine, the most interesting country in the world 
to the Christian. Every where we have seen proofs 
of its former grandeur, its immense resources, and 
its surprising productiveness; and every where are 
traces of the wonderful fulfilment of prophecy, in its 
present decay and desolation. 

The most remarkable of the prophecies which 
foretold the fall of Egypt, while yet, like Babylon 
and Nineveh, she was at the summit of her great- 
ness, are those by the Prophet Ezekiel, B. C. 588.* 
M The word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son 
of man, set thy face against Pharaoh King of Egypt, 
and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt : 



* Ezekiel xxix. xxx. xxxii. 



84 



SCRIPTURE PROPHECIES 



Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord God : Behold, I 
am against thee, Pharaoh King of Egypt, the great 
dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which 
hath said. My river is mine own, and I have made it 
for myself. But I will put hooks in thy jaws, and 
I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy 
scales; and I will bring thee up out of the midst of 
thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick 
unto thy scales. And I will leave thee thrown into 
the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers ; 
thou shalt fall upon the open fields ; thou shalt not 
be brought together, nor gathered ; I have given 
thee for meat to the beasts of the field and to the 
fowls of the heaven. And all the inhabitants of 
Egypt shall know that I am the Lord, because they 
have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel." 

"Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I 
will bring a sword upon thee, and cut off man and 
beast out of thee. And the land of Egypt shall be 
desolate and waste ; and they shall know that I am 
the Lord ; because he hath said, The river is mine, 
and I have made it. Behold, therefore, I am against 
thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the 
land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from the 
tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia." 

" And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and 
will cause them to luiurn into the land of Pathros, 
into the land of their habitation ; and they shall be 



CONCEKNING EGYPT. 



85 



there a base kingdom. It shall be the basest of the 
kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself any more 
above the nations; for I will diminish them, that 
they shall no more rule over the nations." 

" Thus saith the Lord : They also that uphold 
Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her power shall 
come down ; from the tower of Syene shall they fall 
in it by the sword, saith the Lord God. And they 
shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that 
are desolate, and her cities shall be in the midst of 
the cities that are wasted." 

"Thus saith the Lord God : I will also destroy the 
idols, and I will cause their images to cease out of 
Noph ; and there shall be no more a prince of the 
land of Egypt; and I will put a fear in the land of 
Egypt. And I will make Pathros desolate, and will 
set fire in Zoan, and will execute judgments in No. 
And I will pour my fury upon Sin, the strength of 
Egypt; and I will cut off the multitude of No. And 
I will set fire in Egypt; Sin shall have great pain, 
and No shall be rent asunder, and Noph shall have 
distresses daily. The young men of Aven and of Pi- 
beseth shall fall by the sword ; and these cities shall 
go into captivity. At Tehaphnehes also the day 
shall be darkened, when I shall break there the 
yokes of Egypt and the pomp of her strength shall 
cease in her ; as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and 

8* 



86 



FULFILMENT 



her daughters shall go into captivity. Thus will I 
execute judgments in Egypt ; and they shall know 
that I am the Lord." 

These are but a portion of those wonderful pro- 
phecies, uttered by Ezekiel, against the cities and 
land of Egypt; less than a century before its in- 
vasion and conquest by Cambyses the Persian. At 
that time, Memphis, the Noph of Scripture, was a 
large and populous city, seventeen miles in circum- 
ference. It was the capital of Lower Egypt, and 
had been so for nearly two thousand years. Thebes, 
the Egyptian name of which was No, and so called 
in Scripture, was the Metropolis of Upper Egypt, 
and at the height of her power. "I will execute 
judgments in No;" "I will cut off the multitude of 
No,"* are the prophetical denunciations against 
Thebes. The other cities, named by Ezekiel, in the 
prophecies which I have quoted, were then in their 
full strength. 

Sin, the ancient Pelusium, a strongly fortified 
town near the sea-shore, on the eastern frontier, was 
the key, or, as the prophet has termed it, "the 
strength of Egypt." And " Aven,"f or Heliopolis, 
the celebrated city of the sun, called also Beth- 
shemesh,^: was flourishing in all its glory ; a glory 

* Ezek. xxx. 14. Jerem. xlvi. 25. 

f Ezek. xxx. 17. t Jerem. xliii. 13, 



OF PROPHECY. 



87 



which, had been accumulating upon it for fifteen 
centuries. 

Such was the condition of some of those cities of 
Egypt when Jehovah, by the mouth of his prophet, 
pronounced their doom. 



CHAPTEE IY. 



THEBES. 



The origin of a city so ancient as Thebes must 
necessarily be involved in obscurity. It was pro- 
bably founded by Mizraim, the son of Ham, and 
grandson of Noah. Its authentic history goes back 
to Menes, the first King of Egypt, B. 0. 2320 ; who 
beautified and enlarged it, and made it the capital 
of his kingdom. This must have been four hundred 
years before the time of Abraham, and while Noah 
was yet alive. It seems to have been wisely chosen 
for the metropolis of a mighty empire ; the vast 
plain, on which it stood, presenting at this day a 
scene of admirable beauty, and suggesting to the 
mind that this, of all the spots in Egypt, was the 
place for a great and glorious city. The luxuriant 
valley of the Nile, with its waving fields of barley 
and wheat, its plantations of cotton, tobacco, and 
indigo, and its numerous groves of graceful palms, 
here expands to a width of ten miles ; extending on 
the west side of the river two miles, to the Libyan 



ANCIENT THEBES. 



89 



mountains ; and, on the east side, eight miles, to the 
mountains of Arabia. 

These ridges, rising in irregular and rugged peaks 
of brown lime and sandstone, form a grand outline 
to the perfectly level and fertile plain which lies 
between them ; and for whose protection they seem 
to have been placed there, like the walls and battle- 
ments of a vast fortress. 

How glorious, and how impregnable, must Thebes 
have looked, with her hundred gates, so hemmed in, 
in the days of her pride and power. The city, which 
was built on both sides of the river, is said to have 
been twenty-seven miles in circuit. That part of it 
which lay upon the western side was called the 
Libyan suburb; and in those mountains of rock, 
which here protected it from the desert, are still to 
be seen the wonderful excavations, known as the 
catacombs of Thebes ; among which are the tombs 
of the kings. This was indeed the Necropolis, or 
burial-place, for the whole city, during a period of 
more than two thousand years. The mind is lost in 
amazement at the thought of the untold millions, 
who, in so many centuries, must have been embalmed 
and buried here. Palaces were hewed in the moun- 
tains, for the royal dead ; and vast mummy pits 
were dug, to receive the ignoble multitudes. The 
splendour and power of Thebes are attested by the 
earliest historians ; and there is a remarkable passage 



90 RUINS OF THEBES. 

in the book of the prophet Nahum, which proves 
that, before his time, B. C. 713, it was a larger city, 
more powerful, and more populous, than " Nineveh, 
that exceeding great city of three days' journey."* 
" Art thou," the prophet asks of Nineveh, when re- 
buking her for her pride and impenitence, and 
threatening her with an overthrow, similar to that 
which had befallen Thebes, " Art thou better than 
populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that 
had the waters round about it, whose rampart was 
the sea, and her wall was from the sea ? Ethiopia 
and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite ; 
Put and Lubim were thy helpers. Yet was she 
carried away, she went into captivity; her young 
children also were dashed in pieces at the top of 
all the streets ; and they cast lots for her honourable 
men, and all her great men were bound in chains."f 
The present ruins of Thebes, the most extensive 
and the most perfect of any in the world, spread 
over a surface of several miles. On the west, or 
Libyan side of the river, the principal objects of 
interest, naming them in the order in which it is 
generally recommended for travellers to see them, 
are the Temple Palace of Koorneh ; the Tombs of 
the Kings ; large tombs of the Assaseef ; the Tern- 
pie Dayr el Bahree ; Tombs of Shekh Abd el Koor- 



• Jonah iii. 3. 



f Nahum iii. 8-10. 



RUINS OF THEBES. 



91 



neh ; the Memnonium, or palace temple of Eemeses 
II. ; the two Colossi, one of which is known as the 
Yocal Memnon; Great Temple of Medeenet Haboo; 
and the smaller, and more modern temple, called 
Dayr el Medeeneh. All these, with numerous other 
inferior ruins, are on the west side of the river. On 
the east, or Arabian side, are the magnificent temples 
of Luxor and Karnak; the last named being much 
the largest and most splendid, and therefore the last 
to be seen by the traveller. We are all excitement 
to begin our exploration of a city, which was in its 
glory, while Greece was unthought of, and a thou- 
sand years before the foundation of Eome; a city 
built not many generations after the flood, and which 
has been in ruins some twenty centuries. 

No sooner was it known that another boat had 
arrived at Thebes, than a crowd of guides, guards, 
and donkey boys, came down to Koorneh, where we 
first landed, and offered their services to us, in ex- 
ploring the ruins. As, however, we had bargained 
with Hassanein for all arrangements of this kind, we 
gave ourselves no trouble, but left him to settle it 
as he pleased with the clamorous applicants. At 
nine o'clock we were mounted on our donkeys, and 
with a suitable number of guides, with torches for 
the tombs, and provisions for the day, we were off 
to the ruins of the temple palace of old Koorneh. 
It is not my intention to enter into a minute descrip- 



92 



OLD KOORNEH. 



tion of these, or any other ruins in Thebes ; as it 
would be unintelligible to most readers, and probably 
uninteresting to all. A general account of their 
present appearance, and the impressions produced on 
my own mind, by these wonders of the world, are all 
that can be attempted here. 

The buildings at Koorneh embraced a palace and 
a temple, built by Osirei I., one of the most powerful 
of the Pharaohs, B. C. 1385 ; and dedicated by him 
to the heathen god Amon, the Theban Jupiter. At 
his death, the temple was left in an unfinished state, 
and was completed by his son Eemeses II., better 
known in history as the great Sesostris. The outer 
pylon, or gateway, which led to an avenue of 
sphinxes, now mutilated, and mostly buried beneath 
the soil, is quite imperfect ; but, passing this, and a 
second avenue and pylon, similar to the first, you 
come to the corridor fronting the temple, where are 
ten immense columns still standing, covered with 
hieroglyphics in perfect preservation. Although a 
great part of the building is hidden by the soil and 
sand, which for ages have been accumulating over 
it, yet enough remains of its massive walls and lofty 
columns, its halls and chambers, and colonnades, to 
enable you readily to trace out the plan of the 
building, and to impress you with admiration of its 
beauty and grandeur. 

The hieroglyphics, which every where adorn it, 



TEMPLE PALACE. 



93 



are carved with great distinctness ; and one never 
ceases to wonder, how it was possible that they 
should have remained so perfect, for three thousand 
years and more. Those figures on which my eye 
rests, were carved upon those columns, and those 
columns were set up here, three centuries before 
Solomon reigned in Israel; and this temple was 
standing nearly four hundred years before the Tem- 
ple was built upon Mount Zion. The mind is over- 
powered by the contemplation of a structure erected 
by man, and claiming an antiquity such as this. 

About two hundred yards from the temple palace 
of Koorneh, westward, are two large mutilated 
statues of Eemeses II., of black granite, with frag- 
ments of columns and sandstone blocks scattered 
around; and beyond these are fragments of other 
ruins, where once stood a temple, erected, as is sup- 
posed, in the reign of Thothmes III., B. 0. 1496. 

A ride of three miles along a deep and wild 
mountain gorge, high up on the sides of which were 
to be seen numerous caverns, the openings of re- 
ceptacles for the common dead, brought us to the 
tombs of the kings; which are, without doubt, 
among the most extraordinary and the most import- 
ant, in a historical point of view, of all the remains 
of ancient Thebes. No description which I can 
give would convey a just notion of their extent, 
9 



94 



TOMBS OF THE KINGS. 



grandeur, and wonderful preservation. Sir Gardiner 
Wilkinson has examined and numbered all that 
have been explored in modern times, and has writ- 
ten a minute account of each. 

The numbers .which he painted upon the entrances 
of the tombs, with his book on " Modern Egypt and 
Thebes," are the universal guides to travellers, who 
explore these catacombs. Each tomb, with its wide 
and lofty entrance, its passages, halls, chambers, col- 
umns, and stairways, elaborately painted and carved, 
has more the appearance of a vast palace under 
ground, built for the luxurious abode of the living, 
than a resting place for the solitary dead. In every 
instance, the tomb is cut out of the solid rock, and 
penetrates several hundred feet into the heart of the 
mountain. 

The walls are evenly hewed, and the ceilings are 
high, and smooth as the best finished modern draw- 
ing-room. The stairways, too, are on a princely 
scale. The walls, ceilings, and columns, are gen- 
erally covered with hieroglyphics and sculptures, 
most of them beautifully painted ; and the colours 
are as bright and fresh, as if they were the work of 
yesterday ; although some of them have been there 
more than three thousand years. 

The earliest historians, whose works have come 
down to us, mention forty-seven of these tombs, of 
which seventeen were open in the time of the Ptole- 



TOMBS OF THE KINGS. 



95 



mies, B. C. 300, and twenty-one have been opened 
in our day. 

The occupants of fifteen of these are known; 
those of the other six are still in obscurity. We 
had only time to visit a few of those which are con- 
sidered the most interesting ; and a general descrip- 
tion of one will convey a tolerable idea of the 
whole. 

The first which we entered, was that numbered 
" seventeen" by Wilkinson, and which he says, " is by 
far the most remarkable for its sculpture and the state 
of its preservation ;" though much inferior to some 
of them in other respects. It is called Belzoni's 
tomb, because discovered and thoroughly explored 
by that great modern traveller. The entrance is 
down a broad steep staircase, cut in the solid rock, 
twenty-four feet in depth, which brings you to a 
passage, eighteen feet long and half that width, lead- 
ing to a doorway, and a second staircase, which de- 
scends twenty five feet more. Passing through two 
other doors, and a passage way of twenty-nine feet, 
you enter a chamber, twelve by fourteen feet, cov- 
ered, like the passages which lead to it, with hiero- 
glyphic paintings and sculptures, of the best style of 
Egyptian art. A pit in this room, when Belzoni 
first visited it, was cunningly contrived so as to give 
it the appearance of the utmost limit of the tomb, 
and thus deceive, or at least check, those who might 



96 



TOMBS OF THE KINGS. 



enter it for spoil. Belzoni, however, accidentally 
discovered, that a wall separated this pit from the 
hidden chambers beyond, and he soon forced a pass- 
age into them. The room adjoining proved to be a 
hall twenty six feet square, with four columns sup- 
porting a roof, "decorated, like the whole of the 
walls, with highly finished and well preserved sculp- 
tures." 

A few steps conduct you to a second hall, of simi- 
lar dimensions to the first, and supported by only 
two pillars. These pillars are carved out of the 
solid stone, and appear to have been left for orna- 
ment, rather than for any support which they can 
give to the rocky roof. A staircase descends, from 
one corner of the first hall, to two passages, which 
conduct you to a room seventeen feet by fourteen, 
" communicating with the grand hall, which is 
twenty-seven feet square, and supported by six pil- 
lars. On either side is a small chamber, opposite 
the angle of the first pillars, and the upper end ter- 
minates in a vaulted saloon, nineteen feet by thirty, 
in whose centre stood an alabaster sarcophagus, the 
cenotaph of the deceased monarch, upon the imme- 
diate summit of an inclined plane, which, with a 
staircase on either side, descends into the heart of 
the argillaceous rock, for a distance of a hundred 
and fifty feet." 

At the upper end of the grand hall is an entrance, 



TOMBS OF THE KINGS. 



97 



by a single step, to a chamber, seventeen feet by 
forty-three, supported by a row of four pillars ; and 
at the other end are niches, and a room twenty-five 
feet square. This, I am aware, is but a dry detail of 
passages, chambers, niches, staircases, pillars, and 
halls, of one of these magnificent catacombs. Its 
total horizontal length is three hundred and twenty 
feet, and its perpendicular depth, from the entrance to 
the floor of the saloon, where stood the sarcophagus, 
is ninety feet. This was the tomb of Osiris I., B. 0. 
1385, the father of Eemeses II., the great Sesostris, 
and deified by his son. 

Many of the sculptured hieroglyphics on the walls 
are representations of. this deification. Wherever 
king Eemeses is making offerings to the gods, his 
father Osiris appears as the principal deity. 

The next tomb which we entered, No. 11, is called 
after its discoverer, Bruce's, and sometimes the Har- 
per's, from a striking painting in one of the cham- 
bers, of a musician playing upon a harp. It is the 
tomb of Eemeses III., B. 0. 1235 ; and contains nu- 
merous passages, chambers, and halls, similar to the 
first, but larger, and differing in its general plan; the 
extreme length is four hundred and five feet. 

Tomb No. 9, called by the Eomans, the tomb of 
Memnon, but in reality the tomb of Eemeses V., 
B. 0. 1195, is exceedingly rich in sculpture and paint- 
ing ; and, in its general appearance, more imposing, 

9* 



98 



TOMBS OF THE KINGS. 



even, than the first two, on account of the greater 
width and height of the entrance ; the ceiling being 
not less than thirteen feet high, and the passages at 
least twelve feet in width. The length of the tomb 
is three hundred and forty- two feet. 

The fourth, and last, of the tombs of the kings, 
which we explored, No. 2, was that of Eemeses IV., 
B. C. 1205. Though smaller than the others, being 
only two hundred and eight feet long, it is very 
elegant, and possesses this additional interest, that 
here is the sarcophagus, in which the royal remains 
were entombed, standing in its original situation. 
It is a single block of granite, hollowed out like a 
chest, with a lid of the same material, eleven and a 
half feet by seven, and nine feet in height. The lid 
was lifted up, and the side of the sarcophagus was 
somewhat broken, so that we could readily look in 
and see where once lay the body of a Pharaoh, who 
lived more than 3100 years ago ; and who died 
two centuries before David ascended the throne of 
Israel. 

The whole range of mountains of limestone, ex- 
tending several miles parallel with the river, is filled 
with grottoes and mummy pits ; and in these arti- 
ficial caverns, forming one great city of the dead, 
are the numerous generations which once inhabited 
" populous No." 

What a fearful scene will that be 3 when the voice 



TOMBS OF THE ASSASEEF. 99 

of the archangel, sounding through these valleys 
and mountains, shall command these sleeping mil- 
lions to awake, and these dry bones to live ! 

It would occupy too much space to enumerate 
the tombs of the priests, and of private individuals, 
which are worthy of attention ; some of them being 
more ancient and more extensive, even, than the 
tombs of the kings. Those of the Assaseef are 
among the most remarkable; one of them being 
much the largest of all the catacombs of Thebes, 
and ornamented with a like profusion of sculpture 
and painting. It is that of a wealthy individual, 
who lived many centuries before our era ; possibly, 
as would seem from the name of one of the Pha- 
raohs inscribed upon it, as early as B. C. 1400. The 
outer court of this tomb is one hundred and three 
feet by seventy-six; the first hall is fifty-three feet 
by thirty-seven, supported by a double row of four 
pillars; the second hall is thirty-two feet square; the 
total length of its passages and chambers is eight 
hundred and sixty-two feet; forming, together, an 
area of actual excavation in solid limestone rock, of 
twenty-four thousand square feet ; and occupying, 
in its whole plan, more than one acre of ground. 
And all this space was for the dead body of one in- 
dividual, or, at most, for the members of his own 
household ! 

The hill Shekh Abd el Koorneh, which we next 



100 SHEKH ABD EL KOORNEH. 

visited, is filled with grottoes, excavated as burial 
places, of the most interesting kind ; and especially 
valuable on account of the light which their paint- 
ings and sculptures throw on the domestic habits, 
customs, and employments, of the ancient Egyptians. 
The outer courts of these tombs, and oftentimes the 
tombs themselves, are inhabited by families of 
Arabs, so savage in their looks, and so filthy in 
their habits, that, as my son remarked, " it required 
no little resolution to enter their abodes of life, to 
see the ancient abodes of death." 

We examined two of these remarkable tombs 
very minutely, and with deep interest. Tomb No. 
16, of Wilkinson, contains the names of four kings, 
in the order of succession, from Thothmes III., the 
contemporary of Moses, to Amunoph III., inclusive, 
"the supposed Memnon of the vocal statue of 
Thebes.' 5 

The tomb consists of two large chambers; the 
frescoes of the inner room represent a funeral pro- 
cession and a judgment scene, with officiating priests 
and mourners, and a coffin containing the body of 
the deceased, drawn on a sledge by oxen, depicted 
on one wall, and on the opposite wall are fishing 
and fowling scenes. 

On the walls of the outer room are paintings of a 
festival, with women dancing to the music of a 
guitar ; vases of flowers, &c, with many other things 



DAYR EL BAHREE. 



101 



illustrating the usages of the ancient Egyptians, at 
their funerals and festivals. The other tomb, No. 
35, is equally curious ; indeed, Sir Gardiner Wilk- 
inson says, " it is by far the most curious of all the 
private tombs in Thebes, since it throws more light 
on the manners and customs of the Egyptians than 
any hitherto discovered;" but the subjects are so 
numerous and so varied, on the walls of its cham- 
bers, that it is quite impossible to describe them 
with any satisfaction to the reader. To be properly 
appreciated they must be seen. 

Leaving these vast dwelling places of the dead, 
we turned our steps to the ruins of the ancient 
temple, near the cliffs of the Libyan mountains, now 
called Dayr el Bahree, or the "Northern Convent;" 
which, as the name imports, had been converted 
from a pagan temple, to a church and convent of 
the early Christians. It was approached by a 
dromos, nearly the third of a mile in length, between 
a double row of sandstone Sphinxes. A beautiful 
pylon of red granite, in front of the inner court, 
bears the name of the original founder, Amun-neit 
Gori, B. C. 1505, whose name may also be traced 
on other parts of the building. 

Our next visit was to the Memnonium, as it is 
usually called, but more properly the Eemeseum, or 
Temple Palace of Remeses the great, B. C. 1365 ; 
the most perfect, perhaps, and one of the most splen- 



102 



THE MEAIXOXIUM. 



did of the many temples on the west side, of the 
river. 

The great Egyptologist, to whom we are indebted 
for many of the details, in our description of these 
ruins, says that i; for symmetry of architecture and 
elegance of sculpture, there is no doubt that the 
Memnonium may vie with any other monument of 
Egyptian art.'' 

Two pyramidal towers, of hewn sandstone, proba- 
bly fifty feet in height, and, together, more than one 
hundred and eighty feet in width, covered with hie- 
roglyphics in admirable preservation, after a lapse 
of three thousand years, form a noble entrance to 
the outer court, which is one hundred and eighty 
by one hundred and fifty feet ; and was once sup- 
ported by a double row of columns on either side. 
A second court, one hundred and forty feet by one 
hundred and seventy, had a double colonnade, many 
columns of which are still entire. Three flights of 
steps lead to as many entrances into the great hall. 
By the sides of the central stairway are two large 
black granite statues of the king, sitting on his 
throne. The head of one of them was taken away 
by Belzoni, and is now in the British Museum. 

The grand hall, one hundred and thirty-three by 
one hundred feet, has, on the south, three magnificent 
sculptured doorways of black granite, and was sup- 
ported by forty-eight massive columns, thirty of 



COLOSSAL STATUE. 



103 



which still remain standing, and in perfect pre- 
servation. Indeed, it seemed to us that this hall, 
and a large proportion of the other parts of the 
temple, might be restored to their primitive splen- 
dour, with comparatively little labour and cost ; so 
effectually have they resisted the ravages of the in- 
vader, and the slow decay of thirty centuries. Of 
the thirty columns that remain in the great hall, the 
twelve central ones are more than twenty-one feet 
in circumference, and thirty-two and a half feet high ; 
the others are of the same height, and their circum- 
ference is about eighteen feet. To this hall succeeds 
nine large chambers ; the three in the centre mea- 
suring thirty by fifty -five feet each, and sustained by 
eight huge columns. 

The total length of the temple was probably about 
five hundred feet. It would be far more difficult to 
give an account of the sculptures that remain on the 
walls, although these are most interesting to anti- 
quarians, than it is to give the architectural details ; 
and therefore I shall not attempt it. 

One of the most remarkable objects, however, 
among these ruins, remains to be noticed ; it is the 
colossal statue of the founder, Eemesis II., the great 
Sesostris, which was placed in the outer court, near 
to a flight of steps leading to an inner area; and 
there it now lies prostrate on its face, mutilated and 
broken ; overthrown, as is supposed, by Cambyses, 
in the Persian invasion, B. 0. 525. 



104 



COLOSSAL STATUE. 



There it has lain for nearly two thousand four 
hundred years ; a mass of fragments only, yet, on 
account of its gigantic size, the beauty of its finish, 
and the material of which it is composed, has been, 
and will continue to be, the wonder of every be- 
holder. It is of the red granite of Syene, obtained 
from those far famed quarries, near the first cataract, 
which have furnished Egypt with those beautiful 
obelisks, which once adorned her temples ; some of 
them still remaining here, and others forming the 
chief ornaments of the public squares in Constanti- 
nople, Eome, and Paris. 

This stupendous statue, of a single block of syenite, 
the largest in Egypt, or in the world, is estimated, 
when perfect, to have weighed more than eight hun- 
dred and eighty-seven tons. It represented the king 
sitting on a throne, with his hands resting on his 
knees, to denote the repose he was enjoying after the 
fatigues of conquest. If it is a matter of surprise how 
such an enormous mass of granite could have been 
removed from its native quarry, a hundred and fifty 
miles distant, and set up here, it is not less surprising 
how it could have been overthrown, when once put 
upon its base; and, more surprising still, by what me- 
chanical force it could have been broken ; for there 
is ' no trace of drills, or wedges ; and the explosive 
power of gunpowder was not then known. The 
Arabs, in a later period, have sawed off some por- 



TEMPLE PALACE OF AMUNOPH III. 



105 



tions of the head, to be used for millstones. I 
climbed upon the back of this prostrate giant, and, 
with the aid of Mr. Gilpin and William, measured 
it across the shoulders. As nearly as we could 
come at the measurement, with a tape line, the dis- 
tance from shoulder to shoulder was thirty-six feet ; 
and, supposing the breadth of the chest the same, 
this would give a circumference of seventy-two feet ; 
but even this will convey but a faint idea of its pro- 
digious magnitude. The immense masses of this 
colossus which remain, are beautifully polished, and 
as bright as if fresh from the quarry. 

A few hundred yards to the south of the Memno- 
nium are the ruins of a Temple Palace of Amunoph 
III., B. C. 1430 ; but there is nothing here particu- 
larly remarkable, excepting the dromos, or paved way, 
eleven hundred feet in length, which once extended 
from the portal of this temple to the two colossi on 
the plain. There are evidences that colossi of simi- 
lar dimensions formerly stood on either side of this 
dromos, making a magnificent approach to a temple 
which must have been among the proudest monu- 
ments of Egyptian grandeur. The two colossi, which 
remain in their original position, are of equal size, 
and are about sixty feet apart ; they are represented 
as seated on thrones, in the usual attitude of Egyptian 
statues, with the hands resting upon the knees. 
Amunoph III., who built the temple, and adorned it 
10 



106 



COLOSSI OF THE PLAIN. 



with these and many similar statues, was the Mem- 
non of the ancients ; and the colossus on the right, 
as you face them, is the celebrated vocal statue of 
Memnon, which was said to utter musical sounds 
when the first rays of the morning's sun fell upon 
its lips. The Arabs to this day regard it with 
superstitious reverence, and call it the Salamat, or 
the statue that bids " good-morning." It is much 
more mutilated than its companion ; the head and 
the upper part of the body having been broken by 
the malice of the Persian conqueror Cambyses, who, 
by levelling and mutilating, in vain attempted to 
destroy the monuments of Egypt's power ; it was, 
however, as early as the time of the Eoman empe- 
rors, repaired and imperfectly restored with blocks 
of sandstone, and thus it has ever since remained. 

The dimensions of these colossi are as follows : — 
From the top of the head to the shoulder, ten and a 
half feet ; from the top of the shoulder to the elbow, 
sixteen feet and a half ; from the knee to the sole of 
the foot, twenty feet ; so that the statues alone, in 
their sitting position, are forty-seven feet high. 
They each measure seventeen feet nine inches, from 
the elbow to the end of the fingers, and eighteen 
feet three inches across the shoulders ; the foot is 
ten and a half feet long. The total elevation of 
statue and pedestal was sixty feet ; about seven feet 
of each pedestal is now below the surface. 



THE VOCAL MEMNON. 



107 



They are seen for several miles around, sitting in 
solitary greatness upon the plain, where they have 
sat for thirty-three centuries, the voiceless chroniclers 
of the ancient grandeur and glory of Thebes. The 
Pharaoh who placed them there, as the enduring 
monument of his own glory, began his reign when 
the Israelites, under Joshua, were taking possession 
of the land of Canaan, and seven centuries before the 
first foundations of Eome were laid. We paid seve- 
ral visits to these colossi, and each time viewed them 
with renewed interest ; one feels inclined to uncover 
the head, as a token of respect, when standing in the 
presence of such venerable monuments as these. 

The fact, that musical sounds were sometimes 
heard proceeding from the Memnon, at sunrising, is 
too well attested by ancient historians to admit of a 
doubt ; but it is also beyond question, that the inge- 
nuity of the priests had contrived some way thus to 
deceive the credulous, or those whose minds were 
predisposed to superstition. Modern travellers have 
discovered that there is in the lap of the statue a 
stone, which, on being struck, emits a metallic sound, 
something like the tone of a harp -string ; and behind 
this is an excavation, where a person might be easily 
concealed. "We tried the experiment, by sending 
up an Arab, who, when there, was entirely hidden 
from our view ; and, on his striking the stone with 
some iron instrument, it sent forth sounds, not very 



108 LANDING PLACE AT THEBES. 

musical indeed, but such as might be so regarded by 
the lover of the marvellous; especially in those days, 
when the superstitious devotee came, at sunrise, to 
witness, what he believed to be a miraculous display 
of Apollo's power. 

On our second visit, when riding over this magni- 
ficent plain, as we approached these gigantic statues 
in the early morn, the rising sun was shining glo- 
riously upon them, as it shone three thousand years 
ago ; but there were no crowds of curious worship- 
pers, nor any concealed priest to make the Memnon 
vocal with sweet music, as of old. 

It is the opinion of Sir Gardiner T\Tilkinson, that 
the clromos, or paved approach to the temple of 
Amunoph III., which was lined by these colossi, 
and numerous others of a similar kind and size, was 
the Eoyal Street in the Libyan suburb of Thebes, 
running from that temple to the river; and, by means 
of a ferry, connecting it with the great Temple of 
Luxor, built by the same monarch on the opposite, 
or Arabian side. 

Jan. 31. The usual landing place for all the boats 
which visit Thebes is Luxor, on the east bank of 
the river ; that being the most convenient point, in 
every respect. Here our boat was moored, during 
our stay, in company with several other boats of 
American, English, and French travellers. 



MEDEENET HABOO. 



109 



On the second day after our arrival, at an early- 
hour, we again crossed the river to the Libyan side, 
to revisit the Memnonium, the colossi, and other ob- 
jects which we had not time to examine sufficiently 
the day preceding; and to see whatever else re- 
mained to be seen, on the western bank of the Nile. 

The most considerable ruins, which we now visited 
for the first time, and which were quite equal to any 
that we had before seen, were those of Medeenet Ha- 
boo; consisting of extensive remains of three edifices, 
erected by different Pharaohs, yet all so united as to 
form one grand harmonious whole. The original 
temple was built by Thothmes II., B. 0. 1505, in 
the time of Moses, about fourteen years before the 
Exodus of the Israelites. His successor, Thothmes 
III., the Pharaoh in whose reign that deliverance 
took place, enlarged and completed this part of the 
edifice, B. 0. 1495; and Eemeses III., B.C. 1235, built 
a magnificent palace and temple, and united them to 
the former structures by a dromos, walls, and towers. 

It would be tedious, and uninstructive, to describe 
in detail the lofty pyramidal towers, the massive 
doorways of red granite, the areas, halls, columns, 
and decorations, of this great temple palace, splendid 
in its desolation ; lying half buried beneath the 
sands of the desert, and the rubbish which has been 
accumulating within its courts for two thousand 
years. I will simply mention, that in one of the 

10* 



110 



PTOLEMAIC TEMPLE. 



areas, which, is a hundred and ten by a hundred and 
thirty-five feet, there are still standing seven large 
square pillars on one side, and eight .circular col- 
umns, with bell-formed capitals, on the other; and 
that a second court, whose dimensions are one 
hundred and twenty-three feet by one hundred and 
thirty-three, and its height, from the pavement to the 
cornice, forty feet, appears to be filled with columns, 
any one of which, if taken to America, would be the 
wonder and ornament of a museum. The columns 
of an elegant corridor, on the north side of this 
court, are twenty three feet in circumference. All 
these buildings are of sandstone and granite ; some 
from the neighbouring mountains, and some from 
the quarries of Syene. 

An idea may be formed of the imposing effect of 
these massive walls, gateways, columns, and towers, 
when it is borne in mind that they are entirely cov- 
ered with paintings and sculptures, mostly represent- 
ing religious ceremonies, or battle scenes, commemo- 
rative of the conqueror who reared them. This 
remark will apply to almost all the ruins of Thebes. 

A few hundred yards southwest of this temple 
palace of Eemeses is a small Ptolemaic temple, 
which contains some curious hieroglyphics, interest- 
ing to the antiquary and the historian. At a still 
greater distance, are the ruins of another small tern- 



DAYR EL IEDEENEH. 



Ill 



pie of more modern date ; but we found nothing in 
them particularly worthy of remark. 

To the east of the valley of the tombs of the 
Queens, which is about half a mile behind Medeenet 
Haboo, is a small temple built by Ptolemy Philo- 
pater, B. 0. 221, " called Dayr el Medeeneh, from 
having been the abode of the early Christians." It 
is in good preservation, and its walls are adorned 
with many curious and interesting hieroglyphical 
sculptures and inscriptions. On a wall of one of 
the chambers is a judgment scene, where Osiris is 
seated on his throne, and when the souls of the 
deceased are ushered into his presence, their good 
deeds are weighed in a balance, against the ostrich 
feather, the symbol of Justice or Truth. 

Our day's excursion closed with a visit to this 
temple, of comparatively modern date, being only a 
little more than two thousand years old; and we 
returned again by the Meinnonium, and the Colossi 
of the plain, pausing anew to admire and wonder, 
and then crossed to our boat at Luxor. 

February 1. The whole of this day was devoted 
to the ruins on the east side of the river, those of 
Luxor and Karnak; which are by far the most won- 
derful of all the ruins of Thebes, and in compari- 
son of which, those especially of Karnak, the others 
sink almost into insignificance. They have been 



112 PRINCIPAL TEMPLES OF THEBES. 

often described by ancient and modern travellers; 
hut all description fails to give an adequate idea of 
their enormous extent, their vast magnitude, and 
their surpassing grandeur. Champollion said, that 
they appeared to him to have been constructed for 
beings of a hundred feet stature. 

Several years ago there was a panorama of Thebes 
exhibited in Philadelphia, together with Gather- 
wood's panorama of Jerusalem, which gave as good 
an idea, as any pictorial representation could give, 
of these stupendous ruins. Some of my readers 
may remember that panorama, which was shortly 
after destroyed by fire. 

I have said, that there were four principal temples 
in ancient Thebes, — the Diospolis, or city of Jupiter, 
as it was also called, — the chief of which, the great 
Temple of Karnak, contained the shrine of Jupiter 
Amon ; the ISTo Amon of Scripture. On the west 
side of the river, were the Memnonium, or Keme- 
seum, and the temple palace, at the village of Me- 
deenet Haboo ; immediately opposite to these, on 
the east side, stood the temples, now called, from the 
villages which occupy their sites, Luxor and Karnak. 

These four temples may be supposed to occupy 
the four corners of a square, each of whose sides 
is two miles in length, and through the centre of 
which flows the Nile, about a mile wide, and run- 
ning from south to north. At the Temple of Kar- 
I 



FOUR GREAT TEMPLES. 113 

nak, which was much the largest and most magnifi- 
cent of the whole, was kept, as I have said, the 
shrine of their chief deity, the Theban Jupiter. 

Each temple had a payed dromos, or avenue, in 
front of its principal entrance, by which it was ap- 
proached, through a long line of gigantic sculptures 
on either side ; and all the four temples were con- 
nected with each other, by royal avenues of sphinxes, 
or statues, of colossal size. In all great pagan cere- 
monies, when the shrine of Jupiter was carried in 
procession, it was taken from its sacred chamber in 
Karnak, down the dromos of sphinxes, about a mile 
in length, to the river ; thence across the ferry, and 
up a similar dromos, to the Memnonium ; thence up 
to Medeenet Haboo, and from there, through a dro- 
mos of colossal statues, like the vocal Memnon and 
its fellow, to the Nile, and across to Luxor; then 
through another royal road, lined with sphinxes, to 
Karnak, the place of departure ; where it was again 
deposited in the most sacred part of the temple. 

The whole circuit was about nine miles; and traces 
of the avenues, through which the procession would 
pass, from one temple to another, may still be dis- 
cerned, in the statues and sphinxes which remain, 
more or less perfect ; and in the broken and muti- 
lated sculptures which lie scattered along the route. 

I have been thus minute in this description, in 
order that the reader may have a more distinct idea 



114 GRAND TEMPLE PALACE 



of the position, and general appearance, of these vast 
ruins. For the chronology and details which follow, 
I am principally indebted to Wilkinson's elaborate 
work on ancient Egypt. 

The grand Temple Palace of Luxor was begun 
by Amunoph III., B. C. 1430, the same who built 
the temple in front of which stood the vocal Mem- 
non. He erected the original sanctuary, with its 
chambers, and the large colonnade and pylon in 
front; but the most imposing portions of the build- 
ing were added by Eemeses the Great, B. C. 1355. 
These two Pharaohs seem to have done more than any 
other kings of Egypt, in the construction of palaces 
and temples, for the adornment of their capital. 

In front of the main entrance to this temple 
stands the most perfect and beautiful obelisk in 
the world; a single block of red granite of Syene, 
exquisitely polished, eight feflt square at the base, 
and eighty feet high. The four sides are covered 
with hieroglyphics, deeply cut, in some instances to 
the depth of more than two inches, and admirably 
executed. We could not discover a single flaw or 
blemish in any part; the whole looked bright, 
smooth, and perfect, as if just from the hands of the 
polisher. There were originally two of these obe- 
lisks, gracing the grand entrance to the temple; but 
one of them was presented several years ago, by 
Mohammed Ali, to the King of France, and is now 



OF LUXOE. 



115 



the chief ornament of the Place de la Concorde in 
Paris. But, while the one at Luxor, in the mild dry 
atmosphere of Egypt, has remained unchanged for 
twenty-two centuries, that at Paris already begins 
to show the influence of a less favourable climate. 

Behind the obelisk, and by the sides of the gate- 
way, which is flanked by two pyramidal towers, 
are two sitting colossal statues of black granite, of 
Eemeses the Great, partially buried in the sand. 
Passing between these, through the pylon, you enter 
an area one hundred and ninety by one hundred 
and seventy feet, surrounded by a double row of 
large columns, which are much hidden by the hovels 
of the Arabs, who have built a portion of their vil- 
lage within the courts of the temple. 

In examining these ruins, yon oftentimes have to 
make your way among men, women, and children, 
donkeys, dogs, and goats, who all live together in 
one common habitation of filth and wretchedness. A 
mud hovel, plastered against an elaborately wrought 
column, or stuck, like a swallow's nest, on the side 
of the temple wall, covering hieroglyphics which 
record the conquests, perhaps, of the great Sesostris, 
are contrasts of littleness and grandeur, which con- 
tinually remind you of the vanity of earthly things. 
What does the Arab care, who built the stone struc- 
ture which forms one side of his mud dwelling? And 
what is it to Sesostris now, that the clay covers the 



116 



LUXOR — KAEXAK. 



record of his greatest achievements? A wiser than 
Sesostris, and one who lived three hundred years 
after him, has said, "Vanity of vanities, all is 
vanity." 

From the area above mentioned, yon pass through 
a grand colonnade, one hundred and seventy feet 
long, the columns of which are thirty feet in cir- 
cumference, and enter a second " area of one hun- 
dred and fifty-five feet by one hundred and sixty- 
seven, surrounded by a peristyle of twelve columns 
in length by the same in breadth, terminating in a 
covered portico of thirty-two columns;" the portico 
being fifty-seven feet by one hundred and eleven. 
Behind this are chambers extending the whole 
breadth of the building, the centre one opening into 
a hall which leads to the inner sanctuary. "Behind 
the sanctuary are two other sets of apartments, the 
larger ones supported by columns, and ornamented 
with rich sculpture, much of which appears to have 
been gilded." 

But all these ruins, and all that we had yet seen 
on either side of the river, stupendous as most of 
them are, had not prepared our minds for ruins so 
vastly superior as those of the great Temple of 
Karnak. All that we had heard, or read, or imagin- 
ed, of these, fell short of the reality ; and we could 
fully understand why travellers are earnestly ad- 
vised, by all means, to visit these the last. The 



GREAT TEMPLE OF KARjSTAK. 117 

total' length of the grand temple, from the front 
propyla to the rear wall, is about twelve hundred 
feet, and its width about four hundred. 

The height of the grand hall, from the pavement 
to the roof, is eighty feet, and, including various 
additions made by successive Pharaohs, the entire 
circuit of the temple buildings is one mile and a 
half. Some of the stones are forty feet in length. 
The grand hall measures one hundred and seventy 
feet by three hundred and twenty-nine, supported 
by one hundred and thirty-four massive columns; 
twelve of which, in the centre of the hall, are^ sixty 
two feet high, without the plinth, and thirty-four 
and a half feet in circumference ; the remaining one 
hundred and twenty -two columns are each forty- 
two feet high and twenty-seven and a half feet in 
circumference. 

These are but a portion of the columns which 
adorn and support the numerous apartments. In 
every direction are the remains of avenues of 
sphinxes, by which the temple was approached from 
various points; that from Luxor to Karnak, once 
a royal street, being the largest. Hundreds of 
sphinxes, of immense size, some of granite, and 
others of sandstone, may still be seen, much muti- 
lated, and nearly buried in the sand. 

In a court beyond the great hall are two obelisks 
of red granite, each of a single block; one is stand- 
11 



118 



TEMPLE OF KAKNAK. 



ing in its original position, the other has been 
thrown down and broken. In the next court are 
two other Syenite obelisks of great beauty and 
amazing size, one of which has fallen; the standing 
one measures ninety-two feet in height, and is eight 
feet square at the base. 

But it is not so much the grandeur of these 
buildings, as their antiquity, which fills the mind 
with admiration and awe. They seem almost to 
connect the present generation with that which first 
peopled the earth after the flood. When the original 
foundations of this great pagan temple were laid does 
not appear ; but there is a beautiful portion of the 
inner sanctuary, built of red granite, behind which 
are a number of prostrate polygonal columns, bearing 
the name of Osirtasen I., B. 0. 1740; or, according to 
the opinion of Wilkinson, as expressed in the last 
edition of his work, this Pharaoh reigned B. C. 2080 ; 
which would make this part of the Temple of Karnak 
nearly four thousand years old. Assuming, however, 
the first date to be the correct one, it gives to this 
temple an antiquity of more than a hundred years 
over that of every other building in Thebes. Osir- 
tasen I., who built this sanctuary, and set up these 
columns, was the Pharaoh who exalted Joseph to be 
second in the kingdom, and made him ruler over all 
the land of Egypt. 

" Subsequently to his reign were added the small 



TEMPLE OF KAENAK. 



119 



chambers of Amunoph I., B. C. 1550; the obelisks 
of Thothmes I., B. C. 1522; the great obelisks, and 
the rooms near the sanctuary of Thothmes II., B. 0. 
1505; and the succeeding monarch Thothmes III., 
B. C. 1495, made considerable additions to the build- 
ings and sculptures." 

These Pharaohs were contemporary with Moses; 
and it was under the last named, Thothmes III., that 
the wonderful miracles were wrought which accom- 
plished the deliverance of the Israelites, and ended 
in the overthrow of their enemies in the Eed Sea. 
The most magnificent portions of the temple, as it 
now stands, were built by Amunoph III., B. 0. 1430; 
Osiris I., B. C. 1380; and by his son, Eemeses the 
Great, the supposed Sesostris, B. C. 1355; "who 
completed the sculptures on the southwest side of 
the grand hall, and on the exterior of the walls of 
circuit. He also built the area in front, with mass- 
ive propyla, preceded by granite colossi, and an 
avenue of sphinxes. Succeeding monarchs con- 
tinued to display their piety, to gratify their own 
vanity, or to court the good- will of the priesthood, 
by making additions to the buildings erected by 
their predecessors; and the several isolated monu- 
ments, becoming attached to the principal pile, 
formed at length one immense whole." 

Among the most interesting sculptures to be 
found on the walls of this temple, there is one in 



120 



FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY. 



which. Sheshonk I., the Shishak of the Scriptures,* 
recorded the names of the towns and districts, which 
he made captive in his expedition against Jerusalem, 
B. C. 975. A column, still standing in one of the 
courts, bears the name of Psammitechus L, the Tir- 
hakah of the Scriptures, f B. C. 664. 

We have now finished our examination of the 
ruins of ancient Thebes ; ruins the most stupendous 
that the world has ever seen, and which seem to 
have been providentially preserved, to bear testi- 
mony to the truth of Scripture history, and to the 
fulfilment of prophecy. They are the ruins of tem- 
ples dedicated to false gods; some of them to deified 
men, others to idols of wood and stone, to birds and 
beasts, and creeping things, the loathsome objects of 
Egyptian worship. The worshippers have passed 
away, the altars are thrown down, the sanctuaries 
are desolate ; but the ruins remain a monument of 
human pride, vain glory, and idolatry; sins which 
provoked the Most High to visit Egypt with his 
severest chastisements, and to make her, as we see 
her now, and as she has been for long centuries, 
"the basest of the kingdoms.";}: 



* 2 Cliron. xii. 2 to 7. 
t Ezekiel xxix. 15. 



f 2 Kings xix. 9. 



CHAPTEE Y. 



VOYAGE DOWN THE NILE. 

At five o'clock in the afternoon we started on our 
return down the Nile ; and with its swift current to 
help us on, our progress was as rapid as we could 
wish. The day following we arrived at Keneh, on 
the eastern side, forty-eight miles below Thebes, 
where we remained during the night, for the pur- 
pose of visiting the ruins of Dendera, on the opposite 
bank. 

Early on the morning of the 3d, we crossed the 
Nile, and, with a number of Arab guides and at- 
tendants, proceeded on donkeys to the ruins, which 
lie just on the edge of the Libyan Desert, about two 
or three miles from where we started, but not so 
distant from the river. The great Temple of Den- 
dera is an extensive and beautiful ruin. It has been 
truly said, that "from its superior state of preserva- 
tion it deserves a distinguished rank among the 
most interesting monuments of Egypt." The origi- 
nal building was erected by the Ptolemies; but the 

11* 



122 



TEMPLE OF DENDEEA. 



magnificent portico was added, and the sculpture 
finished, in the reign of Tiberius. This portico is 
supported by twenty -four massive columns; these, 
together with the cornice, are elaborately wrought, 
and covered with ornaments. On the ceiling is the 
large and beautiful zodiac, which, when discovered, 
about half a century ago, excited the admiration 
and wonder of scientific men, and led to much 
learned controversy as to its origin. Some sup- 
posed that it was constructed in the time of the 
Pharaohs, and others that it dated back to antedilu- 
vian times. This remarkable zodiac is now ascer- 
tained to have no claims to such antiquity; but to 
be of the more moderate age of eighteen hundred 
years ; which in Egypt may be called youthful. 
The small planisphere which once adorned the ceil- 
ing of one of the lateral chambers, and appears to be 
of an earlier date than the zodiac, is now in Paris. 

The total dimensions of this temple are two hun- 
dred and eighty feet by one hundred and fifty ; its 
roof is entire, and every part is in admirable pre- 
servation. Immediately in front, at a distance of 
about three hundred feet, is a large stone gateway 
bearing the names of Domitian and Trajan. The 
dromos extended from this to the temple. Many 
names of the Eoman emperors are found here ; and 
among them those of Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, 
and Nero. The names of earliest date are those of 



TEMPLE OF DENDERA. 



123 



Cleopatra and her son, Ptolemy Csesarion, whose full 
length likenesses are sculptured on the exterior of 
the western wall. The portrait of the queen is but 
a rude specimen of art, at a period when Egyptian 
sculpture had long been on the decline ; but if it 
fails to do justice to Cleopatra's beauty, it is never- 
theless, as has been said, "interesting from being 
the contemporary representation of so celebrated a 
person ; and, however badly executed, probably bears 
some sort of general resemblance to the original." 

Within the temple, behind the portico, are a hall, 
supported by six columns ; two central chambers ; an 
isolated sanctuary, with a passage entirely around 
it; seventeen smaller rooms; and a staircase leading 
to the roof; from which you have a magnificent view 
of the valley of the Nile, and the adjoining desert. 

A short distance westward, behind the great tem- 
ple, which was dedicated to the goddess Athor, is a 
smaller temple of Isis, which also has a stone pylon 
of large dimensions, and well preserved. A few 
hundred paces to the north is another building, 
with several chambers, and numerous columns, sur- 
rounded by a spacious enclosure of brick, the en- 
trances to which are through the pylons of Athor and 
Isis. A quarter of a mile east of the latter is a third 
stone pylon, similar to the others, bearing the name 
of Antoninus Pius. " Over the face of the gateway 
is a singular representation of the sun, with its sacred 



124 



CROCODILES. 



emblem, the hawk, supported by Isis and ISTephthys." 
It is the entrance to an extensive inclosure ; and as 
the H sister goddesses" on the pylon were commonly 
introduced on funeral monuments, this is supposed 
to have been used as a burial-place. 

Having spent an interesting half day in exploring 
the ruins of Dendera, we returned to our boat, and 
early in the afternoon were again floating down the 
Nile. The next morning, we saw a number of huge 
crocodiles, probably from fifteen to twenty feet in 
length, sunning themselves on a sandbar, and had 
an opportunity of examining them at our leisure, as 
they were not at first disturbed by our approach. 
"When we came near, some of them, more timid than 
the rest, crawled into the water; and a gun being 
fired from our boat, the others suddenly disappeared. 

On the oth, we passed the Grebel Shekh Hereedee, 
with other similar ranges of hills, whose sandstone 
cliffs, six or eight hundred feet in height, were 
towering above us during a greater part of the day; 
although our progress, with a fair wind, was fifty 
miles. "We had the usual Sunday service on board, 
with the same " two or three gathered together." 

On the 6th, the wind being ahead, and blowing 
violently, we lay by at the village Eyina a great 
part of the day. Here are extensive groves of the 
sont, or acacia Nilotica, from which I gathered a 
small quantity of gum Arabic. A number of Arab 



VISIT TO ABDALLAH BEY. 125 

men and women came to us with dates and butter 
for sale. The dates were excellent ; the sight of 
the butter was enough for a Philadelphian, so none 
of us tasted it. One of our party bought some 
trinkets worn by a young Arab woman, which she 
cheerfully sold for a few piastres. 

We arrived at Osioot on the 7th, and immediately 
went to pay our respects to Abdallah Bey, the go- 
vernor, and to thank him for his kindness in lending 
us his small boat. We found him engaged in super- 
intending the erection of his new palace, a little out 
of town, and were courteously received by him in a 
kiosk, or summer-house, in the middle of the garden. 
He seated us by a cool fountain, which was playing 
in the centre of the room, ordered pipes and coffee, 
and entered into quite an animated conversation. 
He desired us to keep his boat until we reached 
Cairo, and refused to receive any pecuniary com- 
pensation. The next day, we had a fine run of 
fifty -four miles; saw myriads of large birds on the 
edges of the cliffs, near the water, and passed two 
huge wolves on the bank, who did not regard our 
approach until a gun from the boat alarmed them, 
and sent them in rapid flight towards the mountain. 

We reached Beni Hassan at seven o'clock in the 
evening ; and as the moon was shining brightly, 
making the night almost as clear as the day, we 
resolved to visit immediately the celebrated grottoes, 



126 



THE CATACOMBS 



or temple-tombs, which are near, and thus prevent 
any delay in our downward voyage. These cata- 
combs are more ancient than those of Thebes ; and 
though inferior in some respects, they are neverthe- 
less very curious on account of the illustrations 
which they afford of Egyptian customs. 

"With Hassanein for our guide, and eight of our 
Arab crew for attendants, we walked about two miles 
over a rough path, and up the steep side of the lime- 
stone mountain in which these tombs are excavated. 
With our lighted torches, we explored six or eight 
of the largest and most interesting of them, one of 
which has inscribed over it the name of Osirtasen I n 
B. C. 1740, the Pharaoh who was contemporary with 
Joseph. For extent and magnificence, they will not 
compare with the Theban tombs of the kings, 
although they can claim a greater antiquity. There 
is about them, however, a solemn grandeur, which 
was heightened by visiting them at night, while the 
moon, by whose light we could distinctly see to 
read, shone full upon the massive portals of these 
repositories of the dead, lighting up the whole 
mountain-side with its bright, but sober beams. 

An indescribable feeling of awe came over me, as 
I thought of the buried dead; while we, strangers 
from a far-off land, on this wild mountain at night, 
with none but rude Arabs for our companions, were 
going in and out among the tombs of those who 



OF BENI HASSAN. 



127 



lived four thousand years ago. It may be that we 
were treading on the dust of Pharaohs, who had 
ruled over a mighty empire, eighteen hundred years 
before the Christian era, and thirty-three centuries 
before the discovery of the New "World. How is 
the mind lost in wonder at the thought ! 

There is great similarity in these catacombs, 
though the northern grottoes differ from the south- 
ern in the style of architecture, and the form of their 
columns. Generally, each tomb consists of one 
large room, forty or fifty feet square, supported by 
fluted columns, about seventeen feet in height and 
fifteen in circumference, all hewed out of the solid 
rock in the side of the mountain ; all covered with 
hieroglyphics, beautifully painted and sculptured. 
It is the hieroglyphics, which it is impossible here 
to describe, that are the chief objects of interest in 
these tombs. There are deep pits, in each chamber, 
for receiving the dead. 

After several hours spent in examining them, we 
returned to our boat and proceeded on our down- 
ward voyage, floating gently with the current, under 
one of the most brilliant skies I ever beheld. Indeed, 
the climate of Egypt, at this season, is perfect; and 
nothing can excel the splendour of the sunset, and 
the glory of the firmament at night ; especially when, 
as now, the moon is at her full. 



128 



ARRIVAL AT CAIRO. 



Feb. 11. Our good ship, the "Keystone," reached 
Boolak in safety on the morning of the 11th, at two 
o'clock, and soon after we were at our old rooms at 
Sheppard's Hotel, in Cairo. A large package of 
letters from our friends in the United States was 
awaiting us, containing the joyful intelligence of 
health and happiness among them; and informing us 
of but few changes by death, during our absence. 

One of these letters may be instanced as a proof 
of the facilities which modern science has afforded 
in the usual transmission of news. It was dated the 
10th of January, at Philadelphia; the day we left 
Cairo for Upper Egypt. "We, with our utmost dili- 
gence, had ascended the Nile to Thebes, about five 
hundred miles, in twenty days, had stopped there 
and at two or three other points on the river no 
longer than was necessary to see the ruins, and 
were back at Cairo after an absence of thirty-two 
days. In the mean time, that letter had crossed the 
Atlantic; and, either by the Straits of Gibraltar, 
through the entire length of the Mediterranean, or 
across the continent of Europe, and thence to Africa, 
had anticipated our arrival in Cairo by several days. 
We had travelled one thousand miles; that little 
messenger, in a shorter time, had travelled more 
than five thousand. 

While on our upward voyage, we occasionally saw 
an Arab running rapidly on foot, and asked what it 



AEAB POSTMEN. 



129 



meant ; our dragoman told us it was the postman 
bearing despatches to or from Cairo. A messenger 
on foot will run a given number of miles, until he 
comes to another messenger, ready to receive his 
despatches, and hasten with them to a third, and so 
on until they reach their destination. This is the 
usual mode of conveying intelligence in the East. 
As I saw these rapid runners, one moment near, the 
next out of sight, never to be seen again, I thought 
of the Prophet's expression, " My days are swifter 
than a post, they flee away, they see no good;"* a 
striking illustration of the rapidity with which years 
pass by us, leaving no trace of their progress. 

At Cairo we were detained five days, while Has- 
sanein was making preparations for our journey 
through Syria. We were very sorry to be obliged 
to separate from our excellent friends, Mr. Gilpin 
and his lady, who had been with us in our interest- 
ing tour through Egypt, and had contributed greatly 
to our happiness; but our route lay across the 
desert, and theirs was by steamer from* Alexandria. 

It was our good fortune, however, to find an 
agreeable travelling companion in Mr. Wm. C. 
Goodhue, of New York, who had been much with 
us in Italy and Egypt, and who now proposed to 
join us in our tour through the Holy Land. 



* Job ix. 25. 



130 



CONTRACT FOR SYRIAN 



TOUR. 



Our contract with Hassanein was similar to that 
which we made with him for our voyage up the Nile, 
and which he had fulfilled to our entire satisfaction. 
He agreed to take us by a designated route, in a 
given time, and for a specified sum, from Cairo to 
Beyrout; he making all necessary provisions, and 
paying all expenses of every kind, that might accrue 
on the journey. The contract was drawn up in 
legal form, written out in Arabic and English, and 
signed and sealed in presence of the American vice- 
consul. Having experienced the advantage of such 
a contract, which cannot be too specifically made 
and authenticated, I would recommend every travel- 
ler to be very particular in this respect ; and to be 
especially careful, that the agreement is witnessed 
by the authorized representative of his country, or, 
what is equally safe, by the English consul. A little 
precaution of this kind may save him much trouble; 
but his first and chief care should be to obtain a relia- 
ble and competent dragoman, a native Arab if possi- 
ble ; one who has had much experience in conducting 
parties through the route contemplated, and who pro- 
duces satisfactory evidence of his qualifications. 

WTe were very fortunate in this respect; our dra- 
goman, having been so employed for twenty-five 
years, was a Bedouin Arab, resident in Cairo, 
where all who knew him testified to his worth; and 
as most of the parties whom he had conducted were 



ENGLISH CHURCH SERVICE. 131 



Americans, or of the English nobility and gentry, 
lie was able to speak English, with considerable 
fluency. He had, besides, an erect, athletic form, an 
intelligent countenance, and the manners of a gen- 
tleman. It was a great advantage to have such a 
man for attendant and interpreter, whenever we had 
occasion to visit the rulers of the land. While I 
write, memory brings before me many pleasant 
scenes where Hassanein exhibited his courtly bear- 
ing, and my heart yearns to see him once more. 

While preparations were being made for our 
journey, our time passed pleasantly in Cairo. 

The day after our arrival, being Sunday, we en- 
joyed the privilege of attending the English Church 
service in the mission chapel, of which the Eev. Mr. 
Lieder has charge. He preached a sound, practical 
sermon, from the text, " My son, give me thy heart." 
There were probably fifty or sixty persons present, 
of whom the greater part were English and Ameri- 
can travellers. There are at this time no less than 
fifteen American ladies and gentlemen at Shep- 
pard's, and four, whom we know, at another hotel. 
Most of them have just returned from Upper Egypt, 
and are preparing for the tour of Palestine. 

The day preceding that which was fixed for our 
departure, a little son of Hassanein, four years old, 
died, which occasioned some further delay. The 
detention afforded us an opportunity of visiting two 



132 



PALACE OF SCHOOBRA. 



of the principal palaces, which we had not seen. 
"We engaged Komeh, formerly a servant of Dr. Kob- 
inson, as our valet de place for the day, and rode 
out of the city about four miles, through a noble 
avenue of acacias and sycamores, extending the 
whole distance from Cairo to Mohammed Ali's 
palace at Schoobra, which is now occupied by his 
son Harriet Pasha. The ride is delightful, over a 
wide, smooth road, slightly elevated above the plain, 
and under the broad thick shadow of those gigantic 
trees. The interior of the palace is said to possess 
but little interest ; we however did not see it, as the 
Pasha's Hareem are there, and, at such times, no 
visitors are admitted, during the Pasha's absence. 

A line from the American Yice Consul, a native 
of Cairo, obtained for us free access to the gardens 
and grounds, which are extensive, and tastefully 
laid out, with abundance of roses, and geraniums ; 
and contain hundreds of orange and lemon-trees 
laden with fruit. The keeper, for a trifling gratuity, 
supplied us with fruits and flowers. We brought 
away two large bouquets, and some delicious oranges. 

In the middle of the garden is a gorgeous kiosk, 
enclosed with richly stained glass, ornamented with 
designs of landscapes, flowers, and birds, most ad- 
mirably executed. It stands upon a mound suffi- 
ciently elevated to command a view of the whole 
garden, the Nile, and the country around. The 



KIOSKS AND GAEDENS. 



133 



floor is of oriental alabaster, with a tasteful foun- 
tain rising in the centre, around which the Pasha 
and his wives may sit and realize the repose and 
luxury of the Arabian Tales. In another part of 
the garden is a basin of water, probably a hundred 
feet in diameter, lined with white marble, and sur- 
rounded by a colonnade of the same material. Nu- 
merous fountains of the finest statuary marble, play 
into this reservoir. This is called the great fountain 
kiosk, and is the chief attraction of the garden. The 
colonnade opens into saloons, billiard rooms, and 
other apartments, furnished and adorned in Oriental 
taste, but for the most part ornamented by Parisian 
artists. 

In the houses of the nobility which we have visit- 
ed, we see a great fondness for French furniture, 
especially for mirrors and chandeliers. 

Eeturning to Cairo, we accepted an invitation 
from the American Vice Consul, to join a party of 
ladies and gentlemen, in a visit to the present Vice- 
roy Abbas Pasha's city palace. It is a large build- 
ing, with no pretensions to architectural taste, but 
containing many magnificent apartments, some with 
marble fountains of great beauty, the walls lined 
with mirrors, and the lofty ceilings covered with 
gilding. In the principal saloon were costly chairs 
and sofas, large chandeliers, and numerous immense 
mirrors of French manufacture. Still, with all its 

12* 



134 



ABBAS PASHA'S CITY PALACE. 



European adornments, it could not be mistaken for 
anything else than the palace of an Eastern sove- 
reign. 

Having been conducted through all the apart- 
ments, and permitted to examine every article of 
furniture at our leisure, we were invited to take 
seats, either on chairs and sofas, or on the divan. 
We chose the latter, which is an elevation about two 
feet high and four wide, extending the whole width 
of. the room. Our party, eleven in all, five of whom 
were ladies, were soon seated, Turkish fashion, on 
the divan, when coffee was brought by the servants 
of the palace ; and we were afterwards treated to 
sherbet served in large covered china cups, each 
guest being furnished with a richly embroidered 
napkin. Pipes were also offered, but respectfully 
declined. We sat immediately in front of a curi- 
ously wrought white marble fountain ; it was not 
however playing at the time, the water probably 
being shut off when the Pasha and his family are 
not here. 

Neither of the palaces which we visited to-day 
will compare in extent or elegance with many which 
we saw in France and Italy. Both of them are 
destitute of paintings and sculpture, and of all those 
gems of art which abound in the palaces of Europe ; 
yet they are elegant in their waj^, and give a good 
idea of oriental luxury and splendour. 



PROVISION FOR THE JOURNEY. 



135 



We visited several of the bazaars, and bought a 
few articles to take home with us as presents to 
our friends. We also purchased some things, which 
we were told would be indispensable to our comfort 
across the desert, and in Syria ; such as veils to pro- 
tect our eyes and faces from the sand, turbans to 
shield our heads from the direct rays of the sun, 
and umbrellas to keep off the rain ; bat we never 
had occasion to use them. The only really useful 
article that we added to our wardrobe in Cairo was 
a capote, or Greek overcoat, with a hood, which was 
exceedingly serviceable in cold and rain. 

Our dragoman, in compliance with his contract, 
made ample provision for our comfort and conveni- 
ence, while under his care. He had purchased one 
large new canvass tent, lined with muslin, three 
portable iron bedsteads, three new mattresses, and a 
sufficient quantity of bed-furniture, a small table, 
camp-stools, a carpet to spread over the floor of the 
tent, a liberal supply of food and fruits, coffee, tea, 
sugar, etc., and a chest, containing china and glass 
for the table. He had, in fact, every article neces- 
sary to make three travellers as comfortable as they 
could have been in an ordinary hotel; and much 
more independent. A small tent served for our 
dragoman and his assistants, where our baggage was 
deposited, and our meals were prepared. Solyman, 
the cook, whose culinary powers had been fully 



136 



EVE OF DEPARTURE. 



tested in our X ile journey, and Hassan, our amiable, 
kind waiter, brother to Hassanein, were engaged to 
go with us. Nine camels from El-Arish, with their 
drivers, completed our retinue. 

The afternoon before our departure, the tents were 
pitched for the night in the public garden in front 
of our hotel, with the Arabs and camels around 
them. AYe had hoped to take an early start; but 
as usual, there was no little delay, and much loud 
talking and scolding among the drivers, before they 
could settle it between themselves how each camel 
should be loaded. We selected three of the most 
promising, light, well-built dromedaries, for our- 
selves. After some hours spent in packing and 
unpacking, and changing loads from one animal to 
another, it was finally arranged what each camel 
should carry. It was by no means so easy a matter 
to determine, as might at first seem ; for everything 
that we should need in the desert must be taken 
with us; tents, camp-equipage, barrels of water, 
cooking utensils, fuel, and food for the men and 
camels. 

A large company of spectators, including a number 
of our friends, came out to see us mount, and to bid 
us good-by. The mounting a camel for the first 
time is rather a troublesome affair, and generally 
occasions no little merriment to the by-standers ; 
but we found it less difficult than we expected, and 



CAMEL MOUNTING. 



137 



I am not aware that our awkwardness excited any- 
considerable mirth. The camel kneels to receive 
his burden ; but before you are fairly on his back, 
he begins to rise, with several awkward movements, 
which threaten to unseat you. He first rises half 
way upon his hind legs, with a jerk that threatens to 
pitch you over his head, and, in the next movement, 
rises entirely upon his forefeet, with a violence that, 
unless on your guard, would throw you over his 
tail ; while a third motion, with his hind legs, lifts 
you so suddenly on the top of his hump, some seven 
feet from the ground, as to make it doubtful whether 
you are to be precipitated over his head or tail. The 
same awkwardness attends the dismounting, from the 
manner in which the camel kneels, One very soon, 
however, becomes accustomed to these movements, 
and, after a few trials, can mount and dismount with 
the greatest ease. 



CHAPTEE VI. 



ARABIAN DESERT. CAIRO TO JERUSALEM. 

At twenty minutes past twelve, Feb. 16th, all 
things being ready, our dragoman gave the signal ; 
and bidding farewell to Cairo, we took up our line 
of march, single file, for Syria, passing out at the 
Hadji gate, through which the caravan of pilgrims 
annually depart for Mecca. A high wind, almost a 
gale, raised quite a sand storm in the desert ; but it 
w r as in our backs, and therefore not so annoying as 
it otherwise would have been. 

In three hours and ten minutes, we reached Ma- 
tarieh, near the ancient Heliopolis, and in sight of 
the obelisk, where w^e were to encamp for the night. 
It was only half past three o'clock ; but this was the 
best halting-place that could be found for our first 
day's journey. It had also this advantage, that if we 
had left anything behind, it could be easily recovered. 
The wind had died away, and there was a prospect 
of a calm and pleasant night. After waiting a few 
minutes to witness the process of unloading the 
camels, pitching the tents, and arranging the furni- 



OBELISK OF HELIOPOLIS. 139 

ture, we took a walk of about a mile, to visit again 
the ancient ruins ; to stand once more beneath that 
interesting monument, in front of the temple of the 
sun, where, I doubt not, Joseph had stood ; and to 
gaze on an object, on which his eves must often 
have rested. 

We sat an hour or two at the foot of that obelisk, 
calling up to memory the eventful scenes which had 
occurred here and around us, in this land of Goshen. 
On returning to our encampment, we found, to our 
agreeable surprise, that two English gentlemen, bro- 
thers,- who had left Cairo an hour or two after us, 
and who were taking the same route through the 
desert, had pitched their tents near to ours. An 
excellent dinner was ready for us, and our appetites 
were such that we could do full justice to it. 

Feb. 17. Our tent, beds, and other accommodations, 
were every way as comfortable as we could desire ; 
and we arose at an early hour, quite refreshed with 
our night's rest. While we were breakfasting, the 
camels were loaded ; and, to save time, our tent was 
taken down as we sat at our meal ; so that nothing 
remained but to fold up the table, pack . away the 
few dishes, and we were again mounted for the day's 
journey. Our English friends started at the same 
time; but as they had purchased in Cairo two fine 
Arabian horses, to carry them through the desert, 



140 



CAMEL RIDING. 



they frequently rode on ahead, or made digressions 
from the path ; returning from time to time to their 
train of camels, which formed with ours one caravan. 

TVe had been told that camel-riding is very fatiguing ; 
and I believe most travellers consider it so ; but we 
found it quite otherwise. Of course, the rider's com- 
fort, whether on horse or camel, depends upon the 
animal's gait. If it be a hard trotting horse, or a 
rough moving camel, it must be wearisome to ride 
him. But with a light, active dromedary, which 
differs from the common camel as a fine saddle horse 
differs from a hack, I know of no more agreeable 
travelling than we found on the desert. Its bound- 
less horizon, its pure, dry, exhilarating air, never 
failed to elevate our spirits with a feeling of health 
and freedom. 

The gait of the camel is slow, seldom more than 
three miles an hour, but ours was so easy that we 
could have read without difficulty, had we desired 
to do so ; and I frequently observed my friend re- 
clining upon the broad, soft coverings, which form 
the saddle, composing himself to sleep. 

We started from Matarieh at eight o'clock, and 
in two hours and three-quarters reached Khamka, a 
considerable village, where Mohammed Ali esta- 
blished a military school. Two hours and forty-five 
minutes more brought us to Merieeh ; the next hour, 
to Shorn mel; and, in one hour and three-quarters 



LAND OF GOSHEN. 



141 



more, we passed El Shuliah, and pitched our tents 
for the night a little beyond, on a sandy mound, 
near a small running brook ; having been on our 
camels eight hours and a quarter. 

We were now at what was probably the extreme 
eastern border of the land of Goshen ; its northern 
boundary being at or near Cairo. Our first two 
days' journey, therefore, had been through that in- 
teresting land ; and, it may be, over the same route 
that Joseph and Mary travelled with the infant 
Saviour, on their flight into Egypt. "We know, 
indeed, that we are going from the land where our 
Divine Redeemer once lived in his infancy, to the 
land where he humbled himself to be born of a 
virgin, and which was the scene of his miracles, 
sufferings, and triumph. 

Eeb. 18. The operation of breaking up our en- 
campment, taking down and folding the tents, and 
loading about twenty camels, belonging to our two 
parties, was even more exciting than yesterday; 
there being some little rivalry between our drago- 
men, as to who should first be ready ; in which feel- 
ing we participated. We were on our march at 
seven o'clock, and in two hours and a half reached 
Belbeis, a considerable town, which was occupied 
by Napoleon in his Egyptian campaign ; and is also 
celebrated as being the first place taken from the 
13 



142 



MIRAGE OF THE DESERT. 



Saracens, in the crnsacle of the twelfth century. 
Here we were detained an hour in procuring pro- 
vender for the camels ; and several large sacks of 
beans were added to our former stock, that there 
might be no lack of food for them, in their long 
journey through the desert; for this was the last 
place where such a supply could be obtained. 

Oar road from this lay over a tract of sandy waste, 
realizing more fully our ideas of the Arabian desert, 
than anything we had yet seen. "When we were 
fairly out upon it, so that nothing could be seen, 
far or near, but sand and sky, we noticed at a dis- 
tance what appeared to be several beautiful lakes, 
with islands in them, and asked Hassanein what they 
were. He said the Arabs called it "Bakrilta wal," 
' : the river that deceives and leads astray;" an appro- 
priate term for the mirage of the desert. 

In seven hoars from Belbeis we arrived at Eas el 
TTady, "Head of the valley,'' or limit of cultivation; 
a small town, near which we encamped, on a sandy 
hillock, and close by what was doubtless the remains 
of one of the ancient canals. "We had considerable 
difficulty in getting our camels across some deep miry 
places at the entrance of Eas el TTady ; several of 
them sinking beneath their burden, which had to be 
removed before they could be extricated. Our men 
manifested a good deal of patience and skill in this 
emergency ; but it was seven o'clock before they all 



SUNDAY AT HAS EL WADY. 143 

came in and our tents were pitched. It was a fatigu- 
ing day of twelve hours, from the time we started, 
to the time when we were settled for the night. 

Feb. 19. This being Sunday, we remained en- 
camped, and held service, at the request of our Eng- 
lish fellow-travellers, in their tent. 

In the afternoon, while standing at the door of 
our tent, I saw a traveller, with half a dozen camels 
and their drivers, approaching from the north. It 
proved to be an American gentleman, whom we had 
met in Switzerland, and afterwards in Italy. His 
appearance was so changed by his tarboosh and long 
beard, that I did not at first recognize him. Since 
we parted at Eome, he had, in company with two or 
three other Americans, visited Greece, Asia Minor, 
and Syria. At Nablous, the party met with some 
trouble from hostile Bedouins, which deterred his 
companions from proceeding further in Palestine; 
he, however, continued on to Jerusalem, and thence 
through the desert, under the guidance of a Syrian 
dragoman. He experienced no molestation after 
leaving Nablous ; and he quite cheered us by his 
account of the ease and security with which he had 
travelled. 

The weather was just warm enough, with a gentle 
breeze, to be agreeable. Near our tents was a body 
of water flowing through the canal, from which 



144 ABOO SWEIR. 

persons were taking fish in considerable numbers 
with nets. Numerous large birds of prey were 
flying around, sharing the spoils with the fishermen. 

Feb. 20. After a ride of nine and a quarter hours, 
we pitched our tents at 5 P. If., in a very comforta- 
ble spot, near an ancient well of somewhat brackish 
water, and among a few dwarf palm-trees and 
bushes. The place is called Aboo Sweir. The 
well is strongly walled around, and the water rises 
to within eleven feet of the surface ; its entire depth 
I could not ascertain. 

"We have now bid adieu to all signs of cultivation ; 
nor clo we expect to see any, for a number of days 
to come. There has been, thus far, considerable 
variety in the appearance of the desert. Sometimes, 
for several miles, you ride over coarse gravel, very 
firmly packed, forming a smooth, hard road, abound- 
ing in beautiful pebbles of every variety of colour ; 
then you travel for hours over fine yielding sand ; 
sometimes it is perfectly level, and at others quite 
undulating, the hillocks covered with stunted bushes. 
Now and then bright little flowers were springing up 
in the sand, literally to "waste their fragrance on the 
desert air." 

Feb. 21. We rode nine hours to day, passing a 
number of salt pools, around which the salt lay in 



THE DESERT. 



145 



considerable quantity. Our encampment was under 
the shelter of some sand-hills, which protected us 
from the wind, that soon began to blow, accompanied 
by a slight shower of rain; the first that we have seen 
since we landed in Egypt, a period of nearly two 
months. 

As we proceed, we realize more and more that we 
are in a vast desert, far away from the abodes of 
civilized man. The Eed Sea lies off on our right, 
from eighty to a hundred miles distant ; and the 
Mediterranean is about forty or fifty miles on our 
left. Each day increases our enjoyment of desert 
travel ; we have better sleeping accommodations, 
better food, are better served, and are more com- 
fortable every way, than, we were in most of the 
hotels on the continent ; and camel riding is vastly 
preferable to a diligence. 

Feb. 22. The stars were shining brightly when 
we arose this morning ; but as two hours are usually 
occupied in getting everything ready, it was past 
seven o'clock when we started. The desert soon 
presented as great inequalities of surface as are to 
be found in any of the sea-board parts of New Eng- 
land ; the wide waste being elevated into hills, or 
depressed into valleys, with occasionally a scattered 
growth of scrubby bushes. Some of our party saw 
several gazelles to-day ; and numerous tracks of 

13* 



146 



GATIEH. ANCIENT WELL. 



these, and of jackals, were seen upon the sand which 
had been moistened by the rain of the preceding 
night. We passed two or three green spots of palm- 
trees, and, after a long ride of ten hours and a half, 
encamped at Gatieh, once a considerable town, and 
a military post in the time of the crusades. Daring 
Napoleon's campaign, it was deemed of some im- 
portance ; but the French, in their retreat, destroyed 
it, and not a building now remains. A few ruins 
mark the spot of its former site. 

Here are many date-trees, and a well, apparently 
of great antiquity, and yielding a bountiful supply of 
tolerably good water. The well, near to which we 
pitched our tents, is of brick, about ten feet across, 
and twelve feet deep to the surface of the water. It 
is a favourite spot of the wandering Bedouins ; a 
company of whom were feeding their flocks on the 
stunted bushes which grow around. They brought us 
milk and eggs; and their women exhibited very neatly 
made baskets for sale. Their appearance and man- 
ners reminded us of our North American Indians. 

Feb. 23. Our men filled their water skins at the 
well, although the supply in the barrels, kept for 
our own use, still holds out ; but we are told that we 
shall find no more that is drinkable until we reach 
El Arish, a distance of three days. There has been 
more of hill and valley to-day, and a greater quan- 



THE DESERT. 



147 



tity of bushes, where large herds of young camels 
were feeding on the tender shoots. We saw also 
flocks of sheep and goats, tended by Arab women. 
Although there is not the least appearance of soil, yet 
the multitude of bright little flowers which spring 
up everywhere in the sand is truly surprising. 

It is the first bursting forth of spring, when the 
desert rejoices and blossoms for a brief space. In a 
few weeks, Hassanein tells me, all will have passed 
away ; and the sand will be heated as in a furnace ; 
scorching and withering everything. At three 
o'clock, we passed a company of Bedouins, encamped 
near a spring ; they were on their way to Cairo to 
enter the Pasha's army. 

Feb. 24. The day was clear and cool, and the air 
so bracing, that although we were on our camels 
nine hours and a half, without dismounting, we felt 
very little fatigue, on reaching our halting-place for 
the night. About mid-day we came in sight of the 
Mediterranean, which lay a few miles distant, on 
our left, and continued to have a fine view of it for 
several hours. A long range of lofty mountains 
could be seen far off on our right. Herds of camels, 
and flocks of sheep and goats, browsing upon the 
bushes, were frequent ; the camels, usually tended 
by men, the flocks, by women or children ; the en- 
campment of their tribe being probably near by. 



148 



SALT POOLS. 



The wandering Bedouins pitch, their tents wherever 
they can find food for their flocks and herds. 

We crossed several salt plains in the course of the 
day, which appeared to have been once the bottoms of 
lakes ; one of them, nearly two miles long, had some 
shallow pools of water, around which large quanti- 
ties of salt were deposited. Hassanein gathered 
some for culinary purposes, which was very clear 
and pure. Two mounted Bedouins whom we met, 
just from Syria, gave us the gratifying intelligence 
that there is now no quarantine to be performed at 
Gaza, the Sultan having abolished it throughout his 
dominions. This will expedite our journey several 
days, and relieve us from one of the greatest annoy- 
ances to which travellers in Egypt and the Holy 
Land have hitherto been subjected. 

Feb. 2oth. This was our longest day's journey in 
the desert ; and, as much of it was over moving sand, 
which yielded to the pressure of the camel's broad 
foot, it was very fatiguing for them. One of the 
poor animals gave out at noon, and we were obliged 
to leave him behind. This is so common an occur- 
rence, that the route of caravans may almost be 
traced by the skeletons of camels which have pe- 
rished in the desert. The moment they fall down to 
die, the vultures are upon them, and soon devour the 
carcass, leaving only the bones to whiten in the sun. 



EL AEISH. 



149 



After a ride of eleven hours we reached El- 
Arish, just at evening; our camels so wearied, that 
it was w T ith difficulty we could urge them forward 
for the last few miles. We ourselves were glad to 
find a spot where we might pitch our tents ; for we 
had risen at five o'clock, while the stars were yet 
shining, and had been upon our camels from seven 
o'clock in the morning, till six in the evening; mov- 
ing forward with that unvarying, measured walk, of 
two and a half miles an hour; never more than 
three. The weather, however, was delightful ; there 
was always something new to attract our attention, 
and we felt that a good night's rest, which we were 
sure to have in our tents, would compensate for the 
fatigues of the day. 

We met two parties of Bedouins, whom we passed 
with the usual friendly salutations. At no time 
have we seen so many beautiful wild flowers, and of 
such brilliant colours, as we have seen to-day ; 
brought suddenly forth by the heat of the sun upon 
the sand. In some places the hillocks were covered 
with them; so that it might be said literally that '"the 
desert blossomed as the rose." This was our tenth 
day from Cairo ; and for the last six days we had seen 
no signs of cultivation ; no spot indeed that could be 
cultivated, nor any habitation of man, until we ar- 
rived at El Arish; which is the frontier town of 
Egypt, adjoining Syria. It stands a mile, or more, 



150 



SUNDAY AT EL ABISH. 



from the sea, without any harbour, and surrounded 
by desert more hopelessly desolate than any we 
have passed before. Yet it has ever been a military 
post, and a place of considerable importance, from its 
position as a border town. Napoleon is said to have 
regarded it as one of " the keys of Egypt Alexam 
dria being the other. It was held by the Christians 
in the time of the Crusades, and King Baldwin died 
within its walls. It stands on a considerable emi- 
nence, protected by a square castle and fortress, 
built by the French, in which a small garrison is 
still kept. Xo situation can be more dreary than 
this : for, as far as the eye can reach, nothing but 
sea and sand are visible. The sand, for miles around, 
is piled up in large heaps, like so many snow drifts. 
The least wind sets it in motion ; and, when the 
wind is high, the whole is driven about, forming 
new hills, and valleys, and chasms. I could easily 
comprehend, on seeing these movable masses, how 
whole caravans are sometimes suddenly overwhelm- 
ed, and buried up, by the sand storms of the desert. 

Feb. 26th. TTe had pitched our tents under the 
shelter of an ancient stone wall, a few hundred yards 
from the town, and, as it was the Lord's Day, we 
'•rested according to the commandment." One of 
our English friends joined us in the morning ser- 



ADVENTURE IN THE DESERT. 151 

vice ; but his brother was too unwell to be present. 
Before noon the wind began to blow, and so filled 
the air with fine sand, that we could not see to the 
distance of thirty yards. 

Towards evening the wind died away, when Mr. 
Goodhue and William ventured to take a walk in 
the direction of the sea, which was about a mile dis- 
tant, whose waves, as they dashed upon the beach, 
had been heard through the day. They had left us 
but a short time, when the wind began to rise, and 
with it a black cloud in the west, which obscured 
the setting sun. Night came suddenly on, without 
any twilight; an hour or two passed, we were in 
great anxiety, and Hassanein and some of the men 
were preparing to go in search of the wanderers, 
when they made their appearance, just in time to 
escape the rain that came pouring down. Their joy 
was as great as ours, to find themselves once more 
under the shelter of our tent, and in safety. They 
had walked in the direction of the sea for half an 
hour, following the sound of its waves, and had 
climbed many sand-hills without getting sight of it, 
when they determined to return ; but they were so 
blinded by the driving sand, that they became 
bewildered, and wandered on, without any land- 
mark to guide them. At one time, they saw what 
they supposed to be the fortress of El Arish, but 
after toiling on towards it for a considerable time, it 



152 



VISIT TO THE GOVERNOR. 



proved to be only a lofty mound. At another time, 
they discerned lights in the distance ; but on ap- 
proaching them, they discovered, in time to avoid 
them, that they came from an encampment of Be- 
douins. They afterwards climbed a hill, and saw 
other lights, which proved to be those of the town ; 
these they followed, and came fortunately to our 
tents on their way. 

Feb. 27th. The wind blew so violently all night, 
with thunder and rain, that we felt some apprehen- 
sion lest our tent should be blown over, and we be 
exposed to the pelting storm ; but providentially all 
kept fast, and we passed the night in safety. 

"We were up at five o'clock ; a beautifully bright 
morning had succeeded the storm, and we were in 
hopes of making a good day's march; but there were 
some vexatious delays, in consequence of a dispute 
among our camel drivers. Another camel must be 
procured to take the place of that which we had 
lost day before yesterday, and we did not get off until 
nine o'clock. Our passports also had to be examined, 
and we went to the castle for that purpose, intend- 
ing at the same time to pay our respects to the 
Governor of El Arish. His secretary conducted us 
to the citadel, and seated us on a divan in the 
Governor's room. By our side sat the Governor's 
son, a lad fifteen or sixteen years of age, reading the 



MILITARY OUTPOST. 



153 



Koran. Pipes and coffee were brought, and every 
attention shown to us ; but the Governor was so 
long in making his appearance, that we ventured to 
retire without seeing him, as we were anxious to be 
on our journey. Our English friends remained at 
El Arish, one of them being too unwell to travel. 
It was with regret that we parted from such agree- 
able companions ; but we hope to meet them at 
Jerusalem, if not before. 

A company of six men, mounted on camels, on 
their way to relieve guard at a small military out- 
post, near which we were to encamp for the night, 
accompanied us from El Arish. After a ride of 
seven hours and a half we reached our halting place, 
and pitched our tent near some palm-trees on a plat 
of grass between green hills on one side, and barren, 
sandy hillocks, stretching out to the sea, on the other. 

A few hundred yards before us, on a gentle rise 
of ground, were the huts of the military post just 
named, and the tomb of a santon, or saint. It was 
a real oasis, more fertile than any spot we had seen 
for the last eight days. It is the boundary between 
Egypt and Philistia. In the course of the after- 
noon, we had passed several small fields of barley 
in the ear, and looking well for such scanty soil. 
When near the end of our ride, another camel gave 
out, and we were obliged to leave him on the road. 
Thus it is with this patient animal ; as soon as he 
14 



154 



GRAXITE PILLARS. 



falls sick or lame, he is no longer worth anything 
to his master, and he is left to die where he ceases 
to be useful. 

Feb. 28. Three hours and a half after leaving our 
encampment, we passed two stone pillars, standing 
on a mound, within twenty feet of each other; their 
appearance is remarkable, as there are no other 
indications of there having been a town or temple 
here. 

They each consist of a block of dark, smoothly 
polished granite, about fifteen feet high, and two 
feet in diameter. TTe had no means of ascertaining 
their origin, as no mention was made of them in our 
guide books ; but William remembered to have 
seen them laid down in a map which our friend, Mr. 
Gilpin, had with him in our voyage up the Nile* 

An Arab tradition says that they were placed here 
to mark the boundary between two continents. TTe 
assented to this tradition ; and, as we stood on the 
meridian line between these columns, were willing 
to believe that Ave could place one foot in Asia, 
while the other was in Africa. In two hours after, 
we arrived at Khan Younes, "Inn of Jonas,"' the 
frontier town of Palestine. Although it was only 
one o'clock, and we were anxious to push on to 
Gaza, yet the clouds looked so threatening, that our 
dragoman recommended us to stop ; and a Bedouin's 



KHAN" YOUNES. 



155 



advice in such cases is not to be slighted. It was 
fortunate that we had reached so favourable a place 
to encamp ; for before night the wind blew strong 
and cold, and the rain came down as if " poured out 
of buckets f and so it continued, with little inter- 
mission, for the next two days, compelling us to 
remain in our tents. 

We were thankful indeed that the desert was now 
fairly passed, and that for the twelve days of our 
journey from Cairo to Khan Younes, we had been 
favoured with fine weather. Our tents were pitched 
a little one side of the town, on the edge of a 
Turkish burial-ground, and under the shelter of a 
hedge of prickly pears, so large and thick that they 
completely shielded us from the wind. Many of the 
plants were fifteen or twenty feet high, with stems 
more than a foot in diameter. Our canvass walls 
protected us effectually from the rain ; and what, 
with occasional glimpses of sunshine, and frequent 
visits from the villagers, and the novel ceremonies 
of two Moslem funerals near our tents, the time 
passed pleasantly. 

Many fierce-looking Bedouins, with their long- 
guns, and with swords and pistols in their belts, 
came to take pipes and coffee Avith Hassanein ; 
and the Sheik of the town also honoured us with a 
visit. His object seemed to be a little backsheesh 
in the form of sugar ; and when Hassanein gave 



156 



KHAN YOUNES. 



him a pound of our double refined, lie went away 
pleased, and chuckling like a child who has received 
a liberal gift of candy. 

Khan Younes is a considerable town. Its houses 
are of clay. low. and mean-looking ; but it is sur- 
rounded by fields of grain, and good pasturage for 
flocks : and there are numerous enclosures of fruit- 
trees now in blossom, surrounded by hedges of 
prickly pear. Its castle, said to be of the time of 
the crusades, and near it the dome and minaret of a 
mosque, rising among a grove of palm-trees, present 
a picturesque appearance; after a long journey on 
the desert, it is particularly refreshing to look upon 
these signs of civilization. The Arabs brought us 
some watermelons, which had a fair appearance, but 
not much flavour, as they were of last year's growth, 
and had been preserved in sand. AYe prefer the 
oranges and dates, and plums of Damascus, of which 
our dragoman laid in a liberal supply before leaving 
Cairo. The kindness and attention of the villagers, 
if not entirely disinterested, is very gratifying ; and 
a small backsheesh sends them away contented and 
happy. 

The third day of our encampment at Khan 
Younes, just at evening, a party of Americans, con- 
sisting of two ladies and six gentlemen, whom we 
left at Cairo, came up in sorrowful plight, drenched 
with the rain in which they had been travelling for 



SIH0R, THE RIVER OF EGYPT. 157 

the last two days. The storm had passed away be- 
fore their arrival ; the setting sun was shining out, 
and, when their tents were pitched by the side of 
ours, we made quite a respectable encampment, 
with our twenty-five camels and numerous attend- 
ants. It is not often that the inhabitants of Khan 
Younes are blessed with such a sight; and they 
made the most of it. The whole village came out 
to take a look at us, just as villagers in our own 
country would go out to see a party of Indians in 
their wigwams; nor do I think that the Arabs 
manifested more anxiety to see us, than we to see 
them. 

March 3. Leaving our American friends behind, 
to enjoy what William calls "the slim hospitalities of 
the Inn of Jonas," we started early, and in four 
hours and a half crossed a wady, or valley, which is 
generally dry, but was now filled with a stream so 
swollen by the late rains, that we had considerable 
difficulty in fording it. This is supposed to be the 
Sihor* of Scripture, the ancient river of Egypt, once 
the boundary between that country and Philistia, 
from which the name of Palestine is derived. As 
we passed Wady Gaza, and descended to the ford, 



* Joshua xiii. 3. Jer. ii. 18. 

14* 



158 



GAZA. 



the ruins of an ancient bridge were to be seen on 
our left. The country was quite level, and the 
fields bright with innumerable flowers. 

At two o'clock we reached Gaza, famous in Scrip- 
ture history as one of the chief cities of the Philis- 
tines: memorable in the days of Joshua and Samson; 
and more recently, in the crusades. But its ancient 
glory has departed. It is a walled town, having 
one large mosque, and several smaller ones. Its 
houses are low, the streets narrow, roughly paved, 
and very dirty ; nor did we see anything attractive 
in the bazaars. The country around, however, is 
very beautiful; and from the commanding height on 
which Gaza stands, we looked over a richer land- 
scape than any we had seen since entering Egypt. 
Large fields of wheat, and extensive olive yards, be- 
neath whose aged boughs was spread the soft green 
turf, covered the plain. 

As we approached the town, some officers came 
out from the quarantine station, looking as if they 
were sorry not to be able to detain us. Ho doubt 
it was a surprise and grief to them ; for we were the 
first travellers, who, since the Sultan had abolished 
the quarantine, enjoyed the privilege of passing 
without detention. We sent our camels round the 
foot of the hill, while we ascended to take a look at 
Gaza. . On passing, out, we saw near the gate, three 
large fallen columns, which reminded us of those 



BETLAHIAH. 



159 



pillars upon which Samson leaned,* when he over- 
threw the Temple of Dagon, and buried himself, 
with the lords of the Philistines and thousands of 
the Gazites, beneath its ruins. 

Two hours beyond this we reached the little vil- 
lage of Betlahiah, where we encamped for the night. 
As usual, the whole population, men, women, and 
children, came out to see us ; examining our dress, 
tents, and furniture, with inquisitive curiosity. The 
chief object of attraction with the men was Mr. 
Goodhue's double-barrelled gun, with its percussion 
locks. The Arabs well understand the superiority 
of the English gun over those of their own manu- 
facture. They have a special dread of a revolver ; 
the sight of one, in the hands of a Frank, is enough 
to inspire awe and respect for the owner. 

March 4. We started at seven o'clock, expecting 
to reach Eamleh before sunset ; but the recent rains 
had made the road so slippery that it was tedious 
for the camels; and oftentimes in fording the streams 
one or more of them fell, which occasioned consider- 
able inconvenience and delay. As we left the place 
of our encampment, the sun had just risen; the 
birds, among them, the lark, were carolling forth 
their morning lays ; and a profusion of gay wild 



* Judges xvi. 23, 34. 



160 



ASKELON. — ASHDOD. 



flowers, tulips, ranunculuses, and anemones, carpet- 
ed the fields. This is the season when all Syria is 
covered with flowers. Olives and figs are among 
the chief productions of the country; and large 
groves of these every where proclaim its fertility. 

About a mile from Betlahiah we passed, on our 
left, the little town of Askelon, occupying the site of 
that once powerful city of the Philistines; and, on 
our right, we had a fine view of the mountains near 
Hebron ; the valley of Eshkol lying between us and 
them. At two o'clock we arrived at Esdud, the 
Ashdod of the Old Testament, the Azotus* of the 
New. It was here that the Philistines, when they 
conquered Israel, placed the Ark of the Lord in the 
house of Dagon ;f and from hence, after the destruc- 
tion of their Idol, it was sent to Ekron. Our route 
was probably the same that the Ethiopian noble- 
man, the treasurer of Candace, travelled on his jour- 
ney to and from Jerusalem; and it was doubtless 
between Gaza and Azotus, that he was baptized by 
Philip.^: The next town we passed was Deir Es- 
nayeed ; and at six o'clock we were at Yibneh, or 
Jabneh,§ one of the strong cities of Philistia, taken 
by Uzziah, king of Juclah. Passing near its walls, 
we came, in one hour more, to the little village of 



* Acts viii. 40. 
t Acts viii. 26, 40. 



f 1st Sam. v. 1, 4. 
§ 2d Chron. xxvi. 6. 



EAMLEH. — LYDDA. 



161 



Kibeiba. "We had intended pushing on to Eamleh ; 
but it was growing dark, our camels were wearied 
with a twelve hours' journey, and so were we; for it 
was the longest time we had ridden in a single day. 
We were, therefore, glad to let them rest, and to rest 
ourselves until morning. 

A ride of two hours and a half, the next day, 
brought us at nine o'clock to Eamleh, the ancient 
Arimathea; where we encamped, just outside the 
town, near to some magnificent olive-trees. It was 
a charming spot to spend a quiet Sunday in; and 
we felt it a privilege on this day of days, when our 
Lord rose from the grave, to be near where Joseph 
of Arimathea dwelt ; of whom honourable mention 
is made by all four of the Evangelists, as one who 
with pious solemnity laid our Saviour's body "in 
his own new tomb."* We had now traversed the 
whole length of the land of the Philistines, and 
passed near to, or over, the sites of their five royal 
cities, Gaza, Askelon, Ashdod, Gath, and Ekron ; a 
land still abounding, as of old, in wheat and barley, 
olives and figs. 

Our dragoman brought us a quantity of the largest 
and most delicious oranges we had ever seen. They 
grew at Jaffa, the ancient Joppa, nine miles distant. 
Two miles to the north of Eamleh lies Lydda, "nigh 



* Matthew xxvii. 57-60. 



162 ANCIENT STONE TOWER. 

to Joppa,"* where Peter preached, and healed a man 
sick of the palsy. 

This was our eighteenth day from Cairo ; during 
which time we had rested five days, including the 
two in which we were detained by rain, and had 
travelled thirteen. Here we were to leave our 
camels, and take horses and mules to Jerusalem; 
camels being unfitted for the mountains of Judea. 
From our tent we could see the stars and stripes, a 
sight always pleasant to an American, floating over 
the residence of our vice consul at Eamleh. Towards 
night, we ascended the hill on which the city stands, 
and walked through its streets and bazaars, with 
Hassanein for our guide. 

We had scarcely entered the gate, when we 
were agreeably surprised at meeting a friend and 
fellow traveller, the Eev. Mr. Sampson, an Epis- 
copal clergyman from near Coleraine, Ireland, 
whom we left in Malta, and who was on his way, 
with his brother, an officer in the British army, 
to Jerusalem. He joined us in our walk to an 
ancient stone tower 3 and other ruins, just outside the 
town, said to be portions of an old church. They 
form a quadrangle, resembling the ruined cloister of 
some large abbey. Beneath these are extensive ex- 
cavations, supported by lofty arches and columns, 



* Acts ix. 32-38. 



SPLENDID VIEW. 



163 



which were evidently constructed as reservoirs for 
water. At the month of one of these are the marks 
of well ropes worn an inch or two into the solid 
stone. The ascent to the tower is by a winding 
staircase of one hundred and twenty-five stone steps. 
From the summit you have a view, which, for beauty 
and extent, is rarely equalled. The eye takes in a 
large portion of the vast vale of Sharon, lying imme- 
diately beneath and around you ; on whose fertile 
fields were once pastured the royal herds of Israel;* 
and whose bright and fragrant flowers are referred 
to in that beautful similitude, "I am the rose of 
Sharon and the lily of the valleys. "f On the west, 
we could see the long line of the deep blue Medi- 
terranean, and the port of Jaffa ; the mountains of 
Judah formed the eastern boundary of the plain; 
the little town of Lydda, scarcely two miles off, 
seemed to be nestling beneath the shadow of the 
trees; numerous villages, surrounded by orchards 
of olives and figs, clotted the landscape ; and the 
green growing grain proclaimed the fertility of the 
soil. The sky was without a cloud, and the setting 
sun threw a soft, mild light over mountain, valley, 
and sea, which seemed to hallow the scene ; and we 
could not but lift up our hearts in gratitude to the 
great Creator of them all, for his numberless mercies 

* 1 Chron. xxyii. 29. f Solomon's Song ii. 1. 



\ 



164 LATIN CONVENT. 

to us, through our long journeyings, and especially 
for the blessings of this our first Sunday in the Holy 
Land. 

We looked into the Latin Convent, a large 
and comfortable establishment, where our Irish 
friends had taken up their quarters, and where all 
travellers, who seek it, are sure to find hospitable 
entertainment. We, however, always preferred our 
tents, to any accommodations that could be given 
within the walls of a building. The American party 
of ladies and gentlemen, whom we left at Khan 
Younes, overtook us just at night, and encamped 
near by. 

March 6. We rose at an early hour, elated with 
the hope of soon having our eyes gladdened with a 
sight of the Holy City, and anxious to move forward; 
yet we had to submit to a tedious delay in making 
preparations for our new mode of travelling. It was 
with feelings of sadness that we bade adieu to the 
Arabs who came with us from Cairo, and with many 
regrets we parted from our patient camels, who had 
borne us so safely and comfortably over the desert. 
They returned to El Arish, and we, mounting our 
horses, attended by Hassanein, set our faces towards 
Jerusalem. Hassan and Solyman, with another 
party of Bedouins, had charge of the mules and 
baggage. The first two hours' ride was across the 



EMMAUS. 



165 



vale of Sharon, through fields of grain, and rich 
pastures, bright with innumerable flowers, just open- 
ing to the morning sun. 

At ten o'clock we passed, a short distance on our 
left, the little " village called Emmaus ;"* the same, 
it is believed, to which the two disciples were going 
on the morning of the resurrection, when they were 
joined by our risen Eedeemer, who made himself 
known to them there "in breaking of bread." 

We now entered upon the rough, rocky, and deso- 
late region, which extends from the plain of Sharon 
to the valley of the Jordan. It was all up hill and 
down, over narrow, precipitous, and rugged paths, 
reminding us of the ascent of Mount Washington ; 
many of the mountain passes being quite as difficult 
as that. But all the difficulties and fatigues of the 
way were forgotten, in the delightful consciousness 
that we were soon to look upon Mount Zion, and 
that this day "our feet should stand within thy gates, 
Jerusalem." Eugged and dreary as this portion 
of Judea now is, there are existing evidences of its 
former fertility, and of the careful culture bestowed 
upon it, in the ruined terraces which cover the hills, 
and the rich soil that has been washed down into 
the deep valleys. We can conceive that this, by 
the divine blessing on human industry, might have 

* Luke xxiv. 13-35. 

15 



166 K IB J ATH-JEARIM. 

been the glory of all lands; although we see it 
wasted and barren, for the iniquities of the people 
that dwelt therein. 

After leaving Emm an s we passed several small 
towns, one of which was Kirjath-jearim,* a chief 
city of the Gibeonites, who made the crafty league 
with Joshua. From the mountain tops we occasion- 
ally had an extensive view ; but for the most part 
the horizon was limited by other lofty hills. At 
one point the view, on looking back, was truly mag- 
nificent : we were upon one of the highest peaks ; 
around us was a sea of hills ; beyond lay the vale of 
Sharon ; Bamleh, with its tower, and mosques, and 
minarets, rising from its centre ; and on the furthest 
verge of the horizon, a long line of the ocean. "We 
should, at any other time, have stopped to gaze on 
such a scene, but our thoughts were on Jerusalem, 
and we pressed forward. 

Our road was over that which was once the great 
highway of Judea : by which was transported the mer- 
chandise which came to Jaffa, the sea-port of Jerusa- 
lem ; and over which were carried the materials, the 
timber of Lebanon, and the stones, which Hiram 
king of Tyre prepared for the building of Solomon's 
Temple.f It was a road once thronged with busy 
men ; but how solitary now ! Seldom did any sight 



* Josli. ix. 17. 



f 1 Kings v. 



APPROACH TO THE HOLY CITY. 167 



or sound remind us that we were in a country in- 
habited. Now and then we heard the voice of an 
Arab, tending his flock on the hill-side ; or we met 
one, mounted and equipped with pistols and spear, 
riding rapidly on his sleek courser to his mountain 
fastnesses. The few pedestrians whom we met, 
saluted us, not as heretofore, as Howadji, or mer- 
chants, the common name by which travellers are 
called in the Bast ; but, more respectfully, as Hadji, 
or pilgrims. The Mussulman is honoured with the 
title of Hadji, when he has visited the tomb of the 
prophet at Mecca, or the Mosque of Omar at Jerusa- 
lem ; and the Christian is recognized as a Hadji, when 
he has visited the Holy Places in and around the 
Holy City. 

The only considerable party that we met on this 
day's ride, was the Turkish Governor of Jerusalem, 
with his staff, and a military guard, on their way 
to Jaffa, to escort from thence the newly appointed 
Pasha. They were well mounted, and made quite 
a gay appearance, with their bright Oriental dresses, 
their sleek high spirited horses, and rich caparisons. 

As we drew near to the end of our pilgrimage, 
there was quite an excitement in our little party ; 
each one being anxious to get the first view of the 
Holy City, and spurring his horse forward to every 
hill-top, or turn in the path, which promised such a 
pleasure. At three and a half o'clock, on ascending 



168 



JERUSALEM. 



a slight eminence, we came suddenly in sight of its 
sacred walls, distant about two or three miles, and 
in half an hour more we entered by the Jaffa or 
Bethlehem gate, and took up our abode in the Casa 
Nuova, a large and commodious house built by the 
Latin Convent, for the accommodation of travellers, 
who have their own servants, and bring their own 
provisions with them, 



CHAPTEE VII. 



JERUSALEM. 

The first view of Jerusalem made an impression 
■upon my mind never to be effaced, while memory 
lasts; and almost daily since has the Holy City 
come up before me, with the same distinctness, and 
with as strong emotions, as at that time. The after- 
noon was bright and clear ; the declining sun shone 
upon its massive walls, and domes, and towers ; the 
hills stood around Jerusalem in all their grandeur ; 
the Mount of Olives, the loftiest and most conspicu- 
ous among them, seemed to rise up as their chief 
guardian, looking down upon Moriah and Zion with 
watchful care. Oh, what a feeling of joy, and grati- 
tude, and love, pervaded my inmost heart as I gazed 
upon the scene ! With what sincerity could I then 
exclaim, " How blessed are our eyes" to see this 
glorious sight. The brightest day-dream of my 
early life, the cherished wish of my heart for many 
long years, was fully realized by a sight of " Jerusa- 
lem, the city of the great King," and of "Mount 

15* 



170 



JERUSALEM. 



Zion, the joy of the whole earth." In my imagina- 
tion it so appeared to me now. The glowing de- 
scription of "the sweet singer of Israel" came to my 
recollection with a beauty and force never before 
felt; — "Her foundations are upon the holy hills; 
the Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the 
dwellings of Jacob."* " The hill of Zion is a fair 
place, and the joy of the whole earth ; upon the 
north side lieth the city of the Great King. God is 
well known in her palaces as a sure refuge." a Walk 
about Zion, and go round about her ; tell the 
towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, con- 
sider her palaces ; that ye may tell it to the genera- 
tion following."f These descriptions seemed to be 
realized in the outward aspect of Jerusalem; Zion 
appeared the " perfection of beauty."^: 

But we had only to enter it, and the vision was 
dissipated; narrow, dirty, ill paved streets, dilapidated 
buildings, squalid poverty, a wretched population, 
are all that at first meet the eye. You wander about, 
and wonder if this is the reality, or is it all a dream. 
Can this be Jerusalem, the Holy City, the Zion of 
the living God? Was here his tabernacle ? Did here 
he manifest his glory ? Was this his chosen seat ? 
Did kings and princes bring their treasures here, to 



* Ps. lxxxvii. 1. 
% Ps. 1. 2. 



f Ps. xlviii. 2, 3, 12, 13. 



FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY. 171 

enrich and to beautify it? Alas, then, "how is the 
gold become dim, and how has the most fine gold 
changed!' 7 Wherever the eye rests, you are re- 
minded of the lamentation of the prophet, " How 
doth the city sit solitary that was full of people ! 
how is she become as a widow ! she that was great 
among the nations, and princess among the pro- 
vinces, how is she become tributary ! She weepeth 
sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks ; 
among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her; all 
her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are 
become her enemies. Judah is gone into' captivity, 
because of affliction, and because of great servitude ; 
she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest ; 
all her persecutors overtook her between the straits. 
The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to 
the solemn feasts ; all her gates are desolate ; her 
priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bit- 
terness. Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies 
prosper ; for the Lord hath afflicted her for the multi- 
tude of her transgressions ; her children are gone into 
captivity before the enemy. And from the daughter 
of Zion all her beauty is departed ; her princes are 
become like harts that find no pasture ; and they are 
gone without strength before the pursuer. Jerusa- 
lem remembered in the days of her affliction, and of 
her miseries, all her pleasant things that she had in 
the days of old, when her people fell into the hand 



172 



JERUSALEM. 



of the enemy, and none did help her ; the adversa- 
ries saw her and did mock at her sabbaths. Jeru- 
salem hath grievously sinned ; therefore she is re- 
moved ; all that honoured her, despise her." " The 
adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her 
pleasant things ; for she hath seen that the heathen 
entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst com- 
mand that they should not enter into thy congrega- 
tion. All her people sigh, they seek bread ; they 
have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve 
the soul ; see, Lord, and consider ; for I am be- 
come vile. Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass 
by ? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto 
my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the 
Lord hath afflicted die in the day of his fierce anger."* 
"What thing shall I liken to thee, daughter of 
Jerusalem? What shall I equal to thee, that I may 
comfort thee, virgin daughter of Zion? for thy 
breach is great like the sea ; who can heal thee ? All 
that pass by clap their hands at thee ; they hiss and 
wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, 
Is this the city that men call The Perfection of 
beauty, The Joy of the whole earth ?"f 

More than twenty-four centuries ago this was 
prophecy ; it is now history ; a narration of events 
and facts which have taken place, of predictions 



* Lain, i. 



f Lament, ii. 13 to 15. 



HER DESOLATION. 



173 



fulfilled and yet fulfilling, since "The Lord of 
Glory," whom the Jews, by wicked hands, crucified 
and slew,— beheld the city and wept over it, saying, 
"If thou hadst known, even thou at least in this 
thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace ! 
But now they are hid from thine eyes."* The 
desolation then foretold has been fearfully accom- 
plished ; Jerusalem has ever since been " Trodden 
down of the Gentiles," and all her glory is departed. 
But the time will come, it may be distant, but it is 
sure, when she shall arise, and shake herself from 
the dust, put on her beautiful garments, and again 
become a praise in the earth. She shall once more 
hear and obey that Heavenly voice, which her pro- 
phets uttered, " Awake, awake, stand up, Jerusa- 
lem, which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the 
cup of his fury ; thou hast drunken the dregs of the 
cup of trembling, and wrung them out."f " Awake, 
awake ; put on thy strength, Zion ; put on thy 
beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for 
henceforth there shall no more come unto thee the 
uncircumcised and the unclean. Shake thyself from 
the dust; arise and sit down, Jerusalem; loose 
thyself from the bands of thy neck, captive 
daughter of Zion."J Great and glorious will be 
that event, when the dispersed among the Jews shall 



* Luke xix. 41, 42. f Is. li. 17. t Is. Hi. 1, 2. 



174 



JERUSALEM. 



be gathered home, 11 The fulness of the Gentiles be 
come in, and so all Israel shall be saved."* " The 
ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion 
with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads ; 
they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and 
sighing shall flee away."f 

We spent a portion of our first evening in Jerusa- 
lem at the house- of Bishop Grobat, and called on the 
Hev. Mr. Nicolayson, the Hector of the English 
Church, and on Mr. Finn, the British Consul, to all 
of whom we had letters ; and whose kindness and 
attention to us, during our brief stay, I take this op- 
portunity of gratefully recording. To Dr. Barclay 
and his family also, American residents in Jerusalem, 
we were indebted for many kind services. They 
have been two or three years in Palestine, and are 
quite familiar with its sacred localities. From the 
terrace of their house is one of the best views that 
can be had of the city, the Mosque of Omar, the 
Mount of Olives, and, in the far distance, the moun- 
tains of Moab. This magnificent view we repeatedly 
enjoyed in our visits to their house ; and we have 
since had the pleasure of seeing it transferred to can- 
vass in the accurate panorama which the Doctor has 
recently exhibited in Philadelphia. 



* Rom. xi. 25, 26. 



| Isai. xxxv. 10. 



FIRST WALK ABOUT ZIOK. 175 

March 7th. Our intention was, the morning after our 
arrival, to take a general survey of the city and its 
environs, and make ourselves familiar with its streets 
and most interesting localities, so that we could after- 
wards find our own w r ay from place to place, with- 
out the aid of a guide. The day was unpropitious, 
being cloudy and cold, with occasional showers ; but 
our time was precious, and we resolved to make the 
most of it. Accordingly, having secured the services 
of " Old Thomas," an experienced and well-known 
guide, familiar with every spot in and about the 
city, and every tradition connected with it, we began 
our first perambulation. 

Leaving our convent home, in the northwestern 
part of the city, a very short walk brought us to 
the Church of the Resurrection, or, as it is more 
commonly called, the Church of the Holy Sepul- 
chre ; a large mass of irregular buildings covering 
an area of about three hundred feet square, and 
embracing under the several roofs, what are sup- 
posed to be the site of Calvary, the place of the 
Crucifixion, and the garden in which was Joseph's 
own new tomb, wherein our Saviour was laid ; with 
numerous other localities, such as the stone of an- 
ointing, the stone upon which the angel sat, and the 
place w T here St. John and the holy women stood, at 
the time of the Crucifixion. From this church we 
passed through the longest street in Jerusalem, 



176 



POOL OF BETHESD A. 



known as the Via Dolorosa ; being, as is supposed, 
that by which our Saviour was conducted, bearing 
his cross, from Pilate's judgment hall to Calvary. 
On our way we looked in at the little Church of the 
Flagellation, marking the spot where Christ is said 
to have been scourged ; then passing the Governor's 
house, adjoining the temple area, and Herod's palace, 
we came to the arch of the Ecce Homo, where Pilate 
is said to have brought our Saviour forth, " wearing 
the crown of thorns and the purple robe," when he 
said to the people, " Behold the man !"* A short 
distance from this are the ruins of the ancient church 
of St. John ; and, a little beyond, near the city wall, 
and to the right of St. Stephen's gate, is a large 
reservoir, which was evidently constructed to supply 
the city with water ; but it is now dry, and partially 
filled with rubbish. This, since the time of Con- 
stantine, at least fifteen hundred years, has been 
known as the pool of Bethesda; the scene of that 
beautiful miracle, the cure of the impotent man, 
recorded in St. John's Grospel.f The area of this 
empty pool, or reservoir, is three hundred and sixty 
feet in length, by one hundred and thirty in breadth, 
and seventy-five feet deep, according to Dr. Eobinson. 

"We went out St. Stephen's gate, and kept close 
along by the eastern and southern wall, on the brow 



* John xix. 5. 



f John v. 1, 9. 



COUNTRY AROUND JERUSALEM. 



177 



of the mountain, overlooking the valley of Jehosha- 
phat, through which runs the Kidron. The ridge 
of hills beyond embraces Mount Olivet, Mount of 
Offence, and Mount of Evil Counsel. On our left, 
high up on Olivet, were the place of the Ascension, 
and that where the Saviour wept over the city. 
Deep down in the valley could be seen the Garden 
of Gethsemane, the tombs of St. James, Zachariah, 
and Jehoshaphat, and the pillar of Absalom. Further 
on are the King's gardens, the pool of Siloam, the 
well of En Eogel, or Joab's well, and at the point 
where the valleys of Jehoshaphat and Hinnom unite, 
is Aceldama, the field of blood ; and, beyond this, 
the upper and lower pools of Gihon. Our walk took 
us through the Turkish burial ground ; and, passing 
the Golden gate, now closed up, the gate of Siloam, 
and Zion gate, we entered by the Jaffa, or Bethle- 
hem gate, which is flanked by the tower of David, 
but a few steps from our convent. Thus ended our 
first " walk about Zion." 

The general aspect of the country immediately 
around Jerusalem is not so desolate as I had expected 
to see it. There are many thrifty olive-trees on the 
side and summit of Mount Olivet, and gardens of 
vegetables, with patches of grain, on the slopes of 
the hills on which the city stands, and along the val- 
ley of the Kidron. Enough remains to remind one 
of the ancient fertility of the soil, and to awaken 
16 



178 CHUECH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE. 

painful recollections of the time when costly dwel- 
lings, and the palaces of kings, covered that part of 
Zion which is now "ploughed as a field so literally 
has the prophecy of its ruin been fulfilled. 

The first two or three days after our arrival, the 
weather continued cold, with rain and snow, render- 
ing it dreary enough out of doors, and cheerless 
within ; for there was neither stove nor fireplace in 
our room, and we had no other means of warming it 
but with a pan of charcoal. When we arose on the 
morning of the fourth day, we were surprised to see 
the streets and buildings, and the hills around, white 
with snow ; covering them to the depth of four 
inches. But this proved to be the last of the cold 
and rainy season. It cleared off delightfully in the 
afternoon, the snow disappeared as rapidly as it 
came, under the influence of a bright sun ; and, from 
that time, the weather, with one or two exceptions, 
continued pleasant during our whole tour in Pales- 
tine. 

The place of all others, within the walls of Jeru- 
salem, to which the footsteps of the pilgrim are 
naturally first turned, is the Church of the Holy 
Sepulchre, under whose roof are the supposed sites 
of the cross and the tomb. This large building, or 
rather collection of buildings, covering an area of 



* Jer. xxvi. 18. Mic. iii. 12. 



CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE. 179 

m 

more than two acres, is occupied by Armenians, 
Greeks, Latins, Copts, and Syrians, each sect having 
a separate chapel of its own; but all claiming a 
common right to perform religious ceremonies in 
the Basilica of Constantine, the church which that 
emperor erected, in the early part of the fourth 
century, to protect the sepulchre. 

The church which his mother the Empress Helena 
built, was, it is said, over the place where the true 
cross was found ; but must not be confounded with 
the chapel that covers Calvary, which is in another 
place, and of a much later date. These, with several 
other structures, are so grouped together as to con- 
stitute the one building, which now bears the name 
of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. 

It is not my intention to attempt a particular 
description of this church, as it would hardly be 
intelligible without a ground-plan. The entrance 
is through a square court, paved with marble, and 
once supported by marble columns, portions of the 
bases of which still remain. A Turk sits within, 
by the side of the door, as a police officer, to preserve 
order among the numerous visitors and worshippers. 
On entering, you turn a little to the left, and pro- 
ceeding a few yards, find yourself beneath a lofty 
dome of the Basilica. In the centre stands a small 
shrine or chapel, elaborately wrought of marble and 
alabaster, and hung around with gold and silver 



180 SHRIKE OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE, 



lamps, which are kept perpetually burning ; this is 
the shrine of the Holy Sepulchre. You remove a 
curtain, which covers the entrance to a vestibule 
ten or twelve feet square ; immediately before you 
is a narrow passage-way, six feet long, which you 
can pass through by stooping very low, and you 
are then in the tomb itself. This is a space of about 
six by seven feet, one side of which is occupied by 
what appears to be a white marble sarcophagus, 
that is shown to you as u the place where the Lord 
lay." The whole, however, is so encased in oriental 
alabaster, and decorated with paintings and gilding, 
that it has no appearance of a " tomb hewn out in 
the rock." But that here, or near this spot, was once 
Joseph of Arimathea's own new tomb, in which, with 
pious solemnity, the body of our blessed Lord was 
laid, I have very little doubt. About fifty yards 
from this, you ascend by a flight of stone steps to 
another chapel, which covers the supposed place 
where the cross stood. Beneath the floor is shown 
a large rent in the natural rock, which forms the 
foundation of the house, said to have been made by 
an earthquake at the time of the crucifixion. 

Many other traditional spots are pointed out in this 
locality; but, whether true or not, are comparatively 
unimportant. That this is Calvary, and that the spot 
so designated, or one very near it, is the site of the cross 
on which the Lamb of God was crucified, I have as lit- 



SACRED LOCALITIES. 181 

tie doubt as that, " nigh to this place," was the scene of 
his burial and his glorious resurrection. For more than 
fifteen centuries, uninterrupted tradition has pointed 
to these sacred spots, as the scenes of the crucifixion 
and the resurrection ; and during that long period 
of time, the whole Christian world has received the 
tradition as unquestionably true. It is only of late 
years that it has been called in question, and many 
books of controversy have been written, on the 
localities of the holy places, by men of distinguished 
ability and piety, holding very opposite views on the 
subject. Into this controversy I have no disposition 
to enter ; for it is not suited to my taste, nor, if it 
were, would it be profitable to my readers. I think 
I have sufficiently examined both sides of the ques- 
tion, to be able to come to a tolerably just conclusion 
in my own mind, as to the identity of those places 
which are deemed most sacred. But I look upon 
each and every traditionary locality, as altogether 
unimportant, compared with the one great acknow- 
ledged fact, that this is Jerusalem, the Holy 
City, standing upon the mountains of Zion and 
Mori ah ; that near it are Mount Olivet and Geth- 
semane, Bethany and Bethlehem, and other 
places where the blessed Kedeemer's feet have trod ; 
where he lived and laboured, suffered and died, and 
triumphed, " for us men, and for our salvation." 
It is of no moment to me, whether this or that event 

16* 



182 TRADITIONS CONCERNING 

took place exactly here, or exactly there, so long as 
I can know and feel, that the small circle of horizon, 
which bounds my vision, embraces the central spot 
of the earth; that within it were enacted the greatest 
events which have taken place since the foundation 
of the world ; and that from it went forth the glorious 
light which is to enlighten the world. All this is 
enough for me to know; and yet, I am disposed 
thankfully to receive any tradition for sacred locali- 
ties, which has all antiquity in its favour, and no 
reasonable argument, to my mind, against it. My 
own views and feelings on this whole subject are so 
well expressed by a late English writer, that I take 
the liberty of quoting his remarks. Speaking of 
the uncertainty which " hangs over spots intimately 
connected with the great events of the Christian 
religion," he says, "But the doubts which envelope 
the lesser things, do not extend to the greater ; they 
attach to the 1 Holy Places,' but not to the 1 Holy 
Land.'" 

"The clouds, which cover the special localities, are 
only specks in the clear light which invests the gene- 
ral geography of Palestine. Not only are the sites 
of Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem, absolutely 
indisputable, but there is hardly a town or village 
of note mentioned in the Old and New Testament, 
which cannot still be identified with a certainty 
which often extends to the very spots which are 



THE HOLY PLACES. 



183 



signalized in the history. If Sixtus V. had succeeded 
in his project of carrying off the Holy Sepulchre, 
the essential interest of Jerusalem would have suf- 
fered as little as that of Bethlehem by the alleged 
transference of the manger to Sta. Maria Maggiore, 
or as that of Nazareth, were we to share the belief 
that its holy house were standing far away on the 
Hill of Loretto. The very notion of the transference 
being thought desirable or possible, is a proof of the 
slight connection existing in the minds of those who 
entertain it, between the sanctuaries themselves and 
the enduring charm which must always attach to 
the real scenes of great events. It shows the differ- 
ence (which is often confounded) between the local 
superstition of touching and handling, — of making 
topography a matter of religion, — and that reasonable 
and religious instinct which leads us to investigate 
the natural features of historical scenes, sacred or 
secular, as one of the best helps to judging of the 
events of which they were the stage. These £ Holy 
Places' have indeed a history of their own, which, 
whatever be their origin, must always give them a 
position amongst the celebrated spots which have 
influenced the fortunes of the globe. The convent 
of Bethlehem can never lose the associations of 
Jerome, nor can the Church of the Holy Sepulchre 
ever cease to be bound up with the recollections 
of the crusaders, or with the tears and prayers of 



184 



HOLY PLACES. 



thousands of pilgrims, which, of themselves, amidst 
whatever fanaticism and ignorance, almost conse- 
crate the walls within which they are offered. But 
these reminiscences, and the instruction which they 
convey, bear the same relation to those awakened 
by the original and still living geography of Pales- 
tine, as the latter course of ecclesiastical history 
bears to its divine source. The Church of the Holy 
Sepulchre, in this as in other aspects, is a type of 
the history of the church itself; and the contrast 
thus suggested is more consoling than melancholy. 
Alike in sacred topography and in sacred history, 
there is a wide and free atmosphere of truth above, 
a firm ground of reality beneath, which no doubts, 
controversies, or scandals, concerning this or that 
particular spot, this or that particular opinion or sect, 
can affect or disturb. The churches of the Holy Se- 
pulchre, or of the Holy House, may be closed against 
us ; but we have still the Mount of Olives and the 
Sea of Galilee; the sky, the flowers, the trees, the 
fields, which suggested the parables, — the holy hills, 
which cannot be moved^but stand fast forever."* 

With these sentiments, I fully coincide ; and there- 
fore I enter into no argument to prove or disprove 
a generally received tradition of any of the holy 
places; but simply give my own impressions, and 



* London Quart. Rev., vol. xciii. p. 461. 



GIHO^T. EN ROGEL. 



185 



the reflections which, arose in my mind at the time 
of visiting them. 

In our second walk outside the city Yv r alls, we 
had young Mr. Barclay for our guide and com- 
panion. Leaving the city by the Jaffa gate, we 
descended by a precipitous path to the lower pool 
of Gihon, and then proceeded a short distance fur- 
ther down the valley to En Eogel, or Joab's well. 
Both these places were scenes of interesting events, 
at one and the same time, in David's reign. His 
son Adonijah, by the advice of Joab, that he might 
secure the crown to himself, " prepared him chariots 
and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 
And he slew sheep, and oxen, and fat cattle by the 
stone of Zoheleth, which is by En Eogel, and called 
all his brethren, the king's sons, and all the men of 
Juclah, the king's servants." "When David heard of 
this unnatural rebellion, he commanded his attend- 
ants, saying, " Take with you the servants of your 
Lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon 
mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon; 
and let Zaclok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, 
anoint him there king over Israel; and blow ye 
with the trumpet, and say, God save King Solo- 
mon."* The blasts of the trumpet, and the shout- 
ings of the people of Gihon, were heard by the 

* 1 Kings i. 9, 33, 34. 



186 YALLEY OF JEHOSH APH AT. 



rebels at En Eogel, and occasioned their immediate 
dispersion, and the flight of their leader. 

The position of the two places corresponds with 
the Scripture narrative. The well, a large stone 
structure, said to be very deep, was at the time we 
saw it nearly full, and sent forth a plentiful supply 
of water. At this point the valley of Gihon and 
the valley of Hinnom, down which we had passed, 
unite with the valley of Jehoshaphat, or Kidron. 
Following the footpath up this latter valley, which 
lies deep down between the mountains on which the 
city stands, and those on its southern and eastern 
border, we passed the King's gardens, as they are 
called, where were once the gardens of David and 
Solomon ; and the tree of Isaiah, said to mark- the 
spot where the prophet was sawn asunder. A short 
distance beyond, we came to the pool of Siloam, 
which is associated in the mind of every Christian 
with that memorable miracle in which our Saviour 
" anointed the eyes of the blind man with clay, and 
said unto him, Go wash in the pool of Siloam, 
which is, by interpretation, Sent. He went his way 
therefore, and washed, and came seeing,"* This 
pool is a large stone reservoir, supplied by an under- 
ground stream flowing from a fountain, called also 
the fountain, or pool, of Siloam, which is further up 



* John, ix. 6, 7. 



POOL OF SILOAM. 



187 



the valley and on the slope of Mount Zion. On 
your right, at the lower pool, and almost overhang- 
ing it, is the dilapidated village of Siloam, clinging 
to the rocks high up on the side of the mount of 
Offence. The upper pool, called also the well of the 
Virgin, is much the more important of the two. 
You descend to it by a broad flight of thirty steps 
cut out of the rock, and worn smooth by use. The 
water rises into a deep basin, from which it is dipped 
up and carried away in bottles of skin or earthen 
jars. We drank of that pure stream, where it flows 
" fast by the oracle of God," and probably has con- 
tinued to flow, as now, from the days of David, and 
"David's greater Son." Of these waters, kings, and 
priests, and prophets, and apostles, drank ; and here, 
it may be, our Eedeemer quenched his thirst, when, 
for our sakes, he was subject to man's infirmities. 

This fountain was held in such high estimation 
by the Jews, that when the city was rebuilt by 
Nehemiah, after the captivity, it was deemed a mat- 
ter worthy of special record that Shallum not only 
repaired the "gate of the fountain," but he also "built 
the wall of the pool of Siloah, by the king's gar- 
den."* 

Advancing up the valley, we soon came to a 
group of four remarkable structures, known as the 



* Neliem. iii. 15. 



188 



TO^IBS UT THE VALLEY. 



tombs of Zachariah, St. James, Absalom, and Jeho- 
shaphat. These sepulchral monuments are hewed 
out of the solid rock. Those which bear the names 
of Jehoshaphat and St. James are excavations in the 
ledge ; the former is subterranean, only the entrance 
being visible ; the latter, consists of three rooms, 
with a front overlooking the valley, and ornamented 
w r ith several columns. The tombs of Zachariah and 
Absalom are each about twenty feet square, at the 
base, and from thirty to forty feet in height. Whether 
any one of these was the sepulchre of the person 
whose name it bears, may be doubtful ; but it is in- 
teresting to look on monuments which a long tradi- 
tion has associated with such persons. The Scrip- 
tures tell us that the body of David's rebellious son 
was cast into a pit, in the wood where he was slain, 
"and a very great heap of stones was laid upon 
him ;" but in the next verse it is said, " Now Absa- 
lom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for him- 
self a pillar, which is in the king's dale ; for he said, 
I have no son to keep my name in remembrance ; 
and he called the pillar after his own name ; and it 
is called unto this day, Absalom's place."* May not 
this structure in the valley of Jehoshaphat be the 
pillar referred to ? It has indeed served to " keep 
his name in remembrance;" for neither Turk nor 



* 2 Sam. xviii. 17, 18. 



JEWISH CEMETERY. 



189 



Jew passes it, without casting a stone at it, to testify 
their abhorrence of his unnatural sin. The monu- 
ment is much battered, and the ground is covered for 
many yards around with these stones. Stoning to 
death was the punishment prescribed by the law for 
rebellion against parents.* The Jews' cemetery is 
on the side of the Mount of Olives, near these 
tombs, and immediately opposite the site of their 
ancient temple. It is a sacred spot, where every 
Jew desires that his body may rest until the resur- 
rection day, and many come from distant lands, that 
they may have the privilege of being buried here. 
The graves extend over a large part of the hill-side, 
and each is covered with a plain flat stone, generally 
without inscription or ornament. 

About three hundred paces further up the valley, 
on the slope of Mount Olivet, we came to the garden 
of Gethsemane, where our blessed Saviour "oft-times 
resorted with his disciples."f I hardly need say, 
that this was to me the most interesting spot in all 
the Holy Land ; for I cannot conceive that it should 
be otherwise to any Christian traveller. Here the 
hand of man has done little, for the reason that it 
could do little, to mar the natural simplicity and 
loveliness of the place. You see at once that, in 
the Saviour's time, from its entire seclusion, it might 



* Deut. xxi. 20, 21. 

17 



f John xviii. 2. 



190 



GARDEN OF GETHSEMAXE. 



well have been a chosen spot for retirement from 
the noise and bustle of the city, for friendly inter- 
course, holy meditation, and private or social prayer. 
Xo works of art disfigure this, as they disfigure most 
of the other sacred places in and around Jerusalem. 
The garden is in possession of the Latin Convent, 
who, in order to preserve it, have built around it a 
plain stone wall. "Within the enclosure are eight 
immense olive-trees, which, from their size and ap- 
pearance, are thought to be nearly, if not quite, a 
thousand years old ; and it is not improbable that 
they sprang from the roots of trees which were here 
in the days of our Saviour. Neither on the mountains 
of Juclea, nor in any other part of Syria, did we 
see trees of such magnitude as these, or of such ap- 
parent antiquity. They are of nearly equal size; 
and, had there been no sacred associations connected 
with them, I should have gazed upon their twisted, 
gnarled trunks, and giant forms, with wonder and 
admiration. One of them, which appeared to be 
somewhat the largest, measured twenty-four feet in 
circumference at the distance of four feet from the 
ground. "Whatever opinion may be formed as to 
this being the site of the garden of Gethsemane, I 
think all travellers will agree with a recent writer, 
that "The eight aged olive-trees, now indeed less 
striking, in the modern garden enclosure than when 
they stood free and unprotected on the rough hill- 



GABDEN OF GETHSEMANE. 191 

side, will remain, so long as their already protracted 
life is spared, the most venerable of their race on the 
surface of the earth ; of all the sacred memorials in 
or about Jerusalem, the most affecting, and, except- 
ing the everlasting hills themselves, most nearly 
carrying back the thoughts to the events which they 
commemorate."* 

Beneath the shadow of these trees, a few plants 
and flowers are cultivated, and among them, most 
appropriately, the passion- vine and the wall-flower. 
Such is the present appearance of Gethsemane ; once 
the favourite resort of our blessed Eedeemer and his 
apostles, while in the active exercise of his public 
ministry ; and the scene of his last and most fearful 
trial, when all the powers of darkness were per- 
mitted to assault him, and to inflict on him sufferings 
even greater than those of the cross. For his body, 
it has been truly said, was crucified on Calvary ; but 
his soul, which became "exceeding sorrowful even 
unto death,"f was crucified in Grethsemane. "He 
endured the torments of men only, on the cross, but 
of devils in the garden." Such was his agony, that 
"his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling 
down to the ground.":}; 

Here it was that the traitor came with a multitude 



* Lond. Quart. Rev. vol. xciii. p. 448. 

f Matt. xxvi. 38. t Luke xxii. 44. 



192 



governor's house. 



to betray his master ; and here " the band and the 
captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and 
bound him, and led him away,*' to be tried, con- 
demned, and crucified. Gethsemane is the spot, of 
all others, where one should go by himself to medi- 
tate on these things ; and, in the solitude of its shade, 
"commune with his own heart and be still." 

Crossing the Kidron, and climbing the steep side 
of Moriah by a winding path, we entered St. Stephen's 
gate, and returned through the Yia Dolorosa to the 
Convent. 

March 10. The weather was unusually cold for 
the season ; ice having formed in the night half an 
inch in thickness ; but the morning was bright and 
clear, and we began our walk at an early hour, in- 
tending to accomplish as much as possible during 
the day. Preceded by the janizary of the American 
vice-consul, and attended by our own dragoman, we 
went first to the governor's house, which occupies, 
it is supposed, the very ground on which Pilate's 
Judgment Hall once stood, and forms a part of the 
wall surrounding the Mosques of Omar and Achsah. 
From the terrace, an elevation of some fifty or sixty 
feet, you have the best view that can be obtained of 
the whole temple area ; for neither Jew nor Christian 
is permitted to enter the enclosure, on penalty of 
death. 



TEMPLE AREA. 



193 



The space within the walls is fifteen hundred feet 
in length, by one thousand in breadth, or about one 
mile in circuit ; and probably embraces all • that 
formerly constituted the courts of Solomon's temple. 
Of God's " holy and beautiful house," where his 
chosen people worshipped, not one stone remains ; 
but you know that you are looking down upon its 
ancient site, the scene of some of the most wonderful 
events in the world's history; events in which all 
nations of men, through all time, past, present, and 
future, have an equal interest. You feel that you 
are standing near, if not upon the very spot, where 
He, the Lord of that temple, who became man for 
us, was for our sakes buffeted and scourged, and 
sentenced to an ignominious death. You have the 
evidence before you, how fearfully that sin of the 
fathers, in crucifying the Lord of glory, has been 
visited on their children. " The heathen have come 
into Christ's inheritance, his holy temple they have 
defiled, and made Jerusalem an heap of stones."* 
Near the centre of the area, upon an elevated plat- 
form of marble, rises the mosque of Omar with its 
gorgeous dome and minarets; but it is not so im- 
posing in its appearance as the mosque of Mohammed 
Ali at Cairo. Beyond it, on the south, covering, as 
is supposed, the site of the Holy of Holies, is the 



* Ps. lxxix. 1. 
17* 



191 



JEWS' WAILING PLACE. 



mosque of Aclisah. Marble pavements, with nu- 
merous small shrines and fountains, also of marble, 
surround these ; and many tall cypress-trees adorn 
the courts. I do not know that we could have had 
a more satisfactory view of the whole, if we had 
been permitted to enter the gates. 

On the outside of this wall, at the southwest 
corner, where the foundations are built up from the 
valley of the Tyropoeon to a level with the area, 
are some immense stones near the ground, which 
are thought to belong to the substructure of the 
ancient temple. The wall here rises to a very great 
height, probably eighty or a hundred feet, and im- 
mediately above is the mosque of Achsah, occupy- 
ing, as I have said, the supposed site of the Holy of 
Holies. The Jews have purchased the melancholy 
privilege of assembling every Friday morning on 
this spot, to mourn over the desolations of Zion, 
and to bathe these " goodly stones" with their tears; 
it is therefore called the " Jews' wailing place." 
We were there a little before their usual time of 
meeting, but we found a number of men and women 
already assembled, some sitting on the ground, 
uttering plaintive cries, accompanied with a motion 
of the body expressive of the deepest grief; others 
were kissing the stones, and pressing their foreheads 
against them, uttering at the same time loud lamen- 
tations for their city and temple, and prayers for 



ANCIENT AKCH. 



195 



their restoration. No one can witness these out- 
ward demonstrations of distress, without being af- 
fected almost to tears ; nor without the conviction 
that much of it is real heartfelt sorrow; and no 
Christian can look upon these descendants of Abra- 
ham, without a fervent prayer, that " the blindness 
in part, which is happened to Israel,"* may be 
speedily removed; that, in fulfilment of his own 
precious promise, God w T ould "appoint unto them 
that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for 
ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of 
praise for the spirit of heaviness ;" and that they 
should " build the old wastes, raise up the former 
desolations, and repair the waste cities, the desola- 
tions of many generations."f 

Near the wailing place, and forming a portion of 
the same wall, are what appeared to be the remains 
of an ancient arch, which Dr. Eobinson supposes, 
with great probability, is a portion of the bridge 
erected by Solomon across the Tyropoeon valley, to 
connect the palace of David, on Mt. Zion, with the 
temple on Mt. Moriah. The principal stone in this 
arch measures twenty four and a half feet in length, 
and more than five feet in thickness. These re- 
mains bear evidence of greater antiquity than any 



* Rom. xi. 25. 



f Isia. lxi. 3, 4. 



196 



TOMBS OF THE KINGS. 



other portion of the temple walls, which we had an 
opportunity of seeing. 

Passing from here through the Jews' quarter, the 
most wretched and filthy portion of the city, we 
went out at the gate nearest to the pool of Siloam, 
known in Scripture as " the gate of the fountain 
and continued up the valley of Jehoshaphat until 
we came to the tombs of the kings, which are on 
the north of the city, about half a mile from the 
Damascus gate. They consist of large sepulchral 
chambers excavated in the rocky ledge. The prin- 
cipal one has an elaborately wrought portal ; but 
the rooms are not so extensive, nor so highly finished, 
as those which we saw at Thebes. I believe the 
general opinion is, that these could not have been 
places of sepulture for any of the kings of Israel ; 
but that they are of a much more recent date. 

Returning towards the city, we passed, a few hun- 
dred feet from it, a large grotto in the rock, said to 
be the cave where the prophet Jeremiah dwelt, and 
where he wrote his book of Lamentations. It is a 
sacred place to the Moslems ; and it is only within 
a few years that admission has been allowed to Chris- 
tians. The door to it was now closed, and we could 
find no person to open it for us. At the Damascus 
gate, we ascended by a flight of stairs to the top of 

* Xeliem. iii. 15. 



TOWER OF HIPPICUS. 



197 



the wall, and continued around the battlements for 
nearly a mile, until we reached the Bethlehem gate ; 
thus having made, in our walk of eight hours, the 
entire circuit of the city. 

We entered the citadel, or castle of David, which 
flanks this gate, and from one of the towers, known 
as that of Hippicus, we had a commanding view of 
the whole city, and the hills and valleys around. We 
lingered long to enjoy this view ; and then returned 
to our lodgings, to go over in memory the exciting 
scenes of the day, 



CHAPTEE VIII. 



BETHLEHEM AND MOUNT OLIVET. 



March 11. We had made our arrangements for 
visiting Bethlehem, and were not to be deterred by 
the threatening aspect of the clouds, for our time 
was limited. It was Saturday, the next day must be 
spent in the Holy City, and Monday was fixed upon 
to begin our excursion to the Jordan and the Dead 
Sea. Bethlehem is only six miles south of Jerusa- 
lem, and can easily be reached in an hour and a half. 
In spite of the rain therefore, which began to fall, 
and promised to continue through the day, we 
mounted our horses, rode out the Jaffa gate, descend- 
ed Mt. Zion by a precipitous path along the valley 
of the Grihon, leaving the lower pool on our right, 
and crossed the valley of Hinnom. Our road then 
lay for a mile or two along the eastern edge of the 
plain of Eephaim, or "the valley of the giants;* 
memorable for the w r ars of David w r ith the Philis- 



* Joshua xv. 8. 



eachel's tomb. 



199 



tines, who made this their chief battle-ground, 
and who were here twice defeated by the youthful 
monarch with great slaughter.* Leaving this 
valley, we entered a hilly country of great fertility, 
abounding in groves of olive and fig-trees, fields of 
wheat and barley, and rich pasture lands for flocks. 

In a little more than one hour from Jerusalem, 
and within a mile and a half of Bethlehem, is seen 
on the right, not far from the road, a small white 
stone structure, like a chapel, such as is often seen 
in the East over the grave of a santon, or saint ; 
this is known as Eachel's tomb. Tradition has 
marked this as the spot where Jacob's best beloved 
wife, the mother of Joseph, was buried; and it is 
in connection with this event, that we find the name 
of Bethlehem first mentioned in Scripture. In 
Jacob's journey from Bethel, southward, with his 
family, and flocks and herds, when aear to Ephrath, 
Eachel died in giving birth to Benjamin, "and was 
buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. 
And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave ; that is the 
pillar of Eachel's grave unto this day.''f Jacob, at 
the time of his decease, in his last interview with 
Joseph, thus alludes to her death and burial ; "As 
for me, when I came from Paclan, Eachel died by 
me in the land of Canaan, in the way, when yet 



* 2 Sam. iv. 18, 25. 



t Genesis xxxv. 19, 20. 



200 



BETHLEHEM. 



there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath ; 
and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath ; the 
same is Bethlehem."- Can we doubt that such a 
spot, within the territory of Judah and Benjamin, 
on the great highway between their two principal 
cities, so marked by a monumental pillar, set up by 
the patriarch's own hand, would be held sacred .by 
the Jew in all after ages ? Though the original 
monument may have long since perished, and others, 
which pious hands erected, have fallen into decay 
and been again renewed, the exact locality of- 
Rachel's grave has in all probability been thus pre- 
served. 

Bethlehem is a strong walled town of some three 
or four thousand inhabitants, mostly Christians ; the 
Latins, Greeks, and Armenians, having each a con- 
vent here. The houses are better built, and the 
streets are cleaner and better paved, than those 
which are generally met with in Palestine. Its ap- 
pearance is imposing, as you approach it from the 
north. The three convents and the church of the 
Nativity, crowning the summit of the hill, look like 
one vast citadel. The country around still bears 
traces of its former fertility, which was probably the 
occasion of its name ; Bethlehem, signifying the 
house of bread, and Ephrath, the fruitful, A steep 

* Genesis xlviii. 7. 



FRANCISCAN CONVENT. 



201 



and zigzag path, leads up to the northern gate, by 
which we entered ; and, passing through the main 
street, we were soon at the Franciscan Convent, 
which, externally, has more the appearance of a 
strong fortress, than of a religious house. Its posi- 
tion on a rocky precipice, its high and massive 
stone walls, its single portal, the low, narrow gate of 
iron, through which only one person can enter at a 
time, and then only by bending almost double, show 
that it was intended for protection, and, in perilous 
times, could offer stout resistance to any invader. 

The Superior of the convent, to whom we had 
commendatory letters as Hadji, from the head of our 
convent at Jerusalem, received and entertained us 
with every mark of kindness and hospitality. Ad- 
joining the convent, and within the same enclosure, 
is the church of St. Catharine, erected by the Em- 
press Helena over the place of the Nativity; its 
nave is said to be a part of the original church, and 
the oldest Christian structure in Palestine. Its 
architecture is bold and impressive ; the roof is of 
cedar of Lebanon, dark with age, springing into 
lofty arches, and supported by twenty-eight marble 
columns. Underneath the floor of this church are 
three small chapels, marking the place of the Na- 
tivity, the manger, and that where the wise men 
presented their offerings to the Infant Saviour. Here 
also are the tombs of Eusebius and St. Jerome ; and 
18. 



202 CHAPEL OF THE NATIVITY. 

near them the cave, which the latter chose as his 
residence, that he might be near the birthplace of 
our Lord. In this cave he lived an anchorite for 
thirty or forty years, and accomplished that great 
work, the translation of the Scriptures into the Latin 
tongue, no ay - known as the Vulgate. 

The chapel of the Nativity is overlaid with 
marble and alabaster, like that of the Holy Sepul- 
chre, and hung around with costly lamps, the gifts 
of various sovereigns. The glare of light from 
these ever-burning lamps, reflected from the polished 
marble and gilded ornaments, and revealing tawdry 
pictures of saints, produced in my own mind min- 
gled emotions of pity and sorrow. One cannot but 
grieve to think that a spot, so revered, should be so 
marred by man's mistaken piety and zeal, as to 
leave nothing to remind one that here once stood 
the stable, where the Saviour was born, and the 
manger in which he was cradled. Yet that this is 
the place, so honoured above all honour, there can 
be, I think, no reasonable doubt. My opinion is, 
that the stable stood here, and that the inn, where 
Joseph and Mary could find no room, was over it. 
We frequently saw houses where the lower story 
w^as for stables, and the upper for a dwelling. 

I w r as glad to get into the open air, and from the 
terrace of the convent look out upon the beautiful 
prospect which spread around. The fertile fields 



FIELD OF THE SHEPHERDS. 203 

needed only a better culture to render Bethlehem 
literally now, as it was once, a house of bread ; to 
make her valleys " stand so thick with corn that 
they should laugh and sing." From this terrace we 
could discern one beautifully green field, in a se- 
cluded valley among the hills, called " the field of 
the shepherds;" for here, traditions say, shepherds 
were keeping watch over their flocks by night, when 
"the glory of the Lord shone round about them," 
and angels proclaimed to them u glad tidings of great 
joy." But whether the traditions of the sacred lo- 
calities, which we had been examining, were true or 
not, was a matter of but little moment to us, com- 
pared with the fact, that we were in a city nearly 
four thousand years old; and, next to Jerusalem, 
with all its hallowed associations, the most interest- 
ing city on this our globe. 

"We knew that we were in Bethlehem Judah, 
where the patriarch Jacob had been ; where Boaz, 
"that mighty man of wealth,"* the grandfather of 
Jesse, dwelt; where David, the son of Jesse, was 
born. "We knew that we were in Bethlehem Ephra- 
tah, foretold by Micah the prophet, as the place out 
of which was to come the "Euler in Israel; whose 
goings forth have been from of old, from everlast- 
ing."f In a word, we knew that we were in "the 



* Ruth ii. 1. 



f Mic. v. 2. 



204 



BETHLEHEM. 



city of David," and that here, Oh, wonderful conde- 
scension and love ! was born, for us, and for all man- 
kind, "a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord." 

As we stood upon the site of his nativity, and 
looked abroad upon the fields and valleys, we knew 
that in some one of them, the watchful shepherds 
saw the glorious light, and heard the heavenly song. 
The hills and the valleys, the brooks, the fountains, 
and the fields, are the same now that they were when 
Euth gleaned here, in the field of her rich kinsman ; 
the same as when David kept his father's sheep ; 
the same as when, eighteen centuries ago, rejoic- 
ing angels proclaimed to wondering shepherds a 
Saviour's birth. "What these were then they are now ; 
Bethlehem is Bethlehem still; and we felt it our 
highest privilege to walk and meditate among such 
consecrated scenes, where kings and patriarchs, pro- 
phets and apostles, had lived and laboured. It was 
a delightful thought, that we were in that city, which, 
though, in one sense, " little among the thousands 
of Judah," was, in another sense, immeasurably the 
greatest. It was the birthplace of Christianity. 
Here the " Sun of righteousness arose with healing 
in his wings ;" and from this central point has radi- 
ated the light to lighten the world. 

March 12. It was Sunday, and we went in the 
early morning to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, 



CHUKCH ON MOUNT ZION. 205 

where we witnessed some ceremonies, unintelligible 
to us, performed around the shrine, by a procession 
of Armenian priests, with the Patriarch at their 
head ; a noble-looking man, wearing a golden mitre, 
and bearing in his hand a large gold cross. His 
robes were of yellow silk damask, while those of the 
priests were also of silk, of bright and varied colours. 
The procession, with numerous banners, marched 
several times around the shrine of the sepulchre, 
chanting the service; and continued their chant, while 
the Patriarch entered, for a few minutes, the chapel 
of the tomb ; they then marched in the same order 
to their place of worship. 

At ten o'clock, we attended service in the beauti- 
ful stone church, which the English have erected on 
Mt. Zion. The bishop read the ante-communion 
service; and the rector preached a plain practical 
sermon, on the subject of our Lord's temptation, 
which was the gospel for the day, the first Sunday 
in Lent. The second lesson, according to the Eng- 
lish ritual, was the twenty-third chapter of St. Luke; 
the history of our blessed Lord's trial, condemnation, 
mockery, scourging, crucifixion, and burial. I need 
not say, that in the midst of those scenes where 
these awful events occurred, I listened to that in- 
spired record of my Eedeemer's sufferings, as I 
never listened before. 

18* 



206 



MOUXT OF OLIVES. 



TThen the service was over, we went out to the 
Mount of Olives, and sat down upon the spot where 
our Saviour u beheld the city and wept over it ;" a 
most fitting place to meditate upon what we had 
heard, and what our Lord had here foretold, would 
be the consequence of Jerusalem's rejection of him. 

As there was to be no afternoon service, we passed 
the remainder of the day on the mount, which is hal- 
lowed by as many sacred associations, as any other 
spot in the Holy Land, not excepting Calvary. Both 
Calvary and Olivet were the scenes of our Divine 
Eedeemers greatest sufferings, and most glorious tri- 
umphs : sufferings and triumphs, which were alike 
necessary to the full accomplishment of man's salva- 
tion. On Calvary he " endured the cross, despising 
the shame f on Calvary his lifeless body was con- 
signed to the tomb ; and on Calvary he proclaimed 
himself the Lord of life, by his " mighty resurrec- 
tion.' ? But in the garden on Olivet it was, that 
his soul became " exceeding sorrowful, even unto 
death f and in that awful agony, <; his sweat was, 
as it were, great drops of blood falling down to 
the ground;"* and from thence, betrayed by his 
' ; own familiar friend/' " he was led as a lamb to the 
slaughter.'' From Olivet he made his triumphal 
entry into Jerusalem, when the assembled multi- 
tudes proclaimed him their King Messiah ; and on 



* Luke xxii. 44. 



MOUNT OF OLIVES. 



207 



Olivet he displayed his last and most signal tri- 
umph, when, in presence of his wondering disciples, 
he " ascended up on high," a victorious conqueror, 
"leading captivity captive;" taking possession of his 
mediatorial kingdom, and resuming the glory which 
he had with the Father 11 before the world was."* 

If my readers will go forth with me, on this. Sab- 
bath day's journey, we will commune together by 
the way, concerning persons, places, and events, 
equally dear to us all ; and it shall be my endeavour 
to give them as distinct an idea as I can, of the 
present appearance of the sacred localities which lie 
along our path. 

Passing down the Via Dolorosa to St. Stephen's 
gate, on the east, as soon as we are outside of the 
city walls, we find ourselves on the brow of Mount 
Moriah, near to the temple area ; and before us, in 
full view, rises Mount Olivet ; not green with grow- 
ing grain, nor covered with forest trees, nor bright 
with cheerful cottages, like many of our own beau- 
tiful hills ; but, for the most part, rocky, brown, and 
barren ; yet with groves of olive and fig-trees scatter- 
ed over its sides, with here and there a tomb, or a 
mosque, or an ancient ruin, marking some peculiarly 
hallowed spot. From this point the eye takes in at 
one view, several miles of this noble mountain range, 
from the base, which lies deep down in the valley 



* John xvii. 5, 



208 VALLEY OF JEHOSHAPHAT. 

before yon, to the summit, which rises high above 
the other hills. A very few steps, not more than 
fifty from the city* gate, will bring us to the edge of 
the descent ; and, following the steep and difficult 
path down the side of Moriah, a hundred and fifty 
paces more bring us to the bottom of the slope, and 
we are now in the valley of Jehoshaphat, which is 
here not more than a hundred yards wide. 

Crossing the Kidron by a stone bridge, where no 
brook at present flows, the winter torrents being 
dried up, we come immediately to Grethsemane. Our 
path lies along by the garden wall to its northeastern 
corner, and then goes winding rip to the highest part 
of the mountain, and onward to Bethany. Few foot- 
paths around the Holy City possess so many sacred 
associations as this. 

We know that it has been hallowed by the foot- 
steps of holy men of old, and by our blessed Ee- 
deemer himself. Whenever he retired to the Mount 
of Olives, and whenever he visited his friends in 
Bethany, it was probably along this pathway that 
he walked. More than a thousand years before our 
Saviour's time, this path across the Kidron and up 
Mount Olivet, was the scene of one of the most af- 
fecting events recorded in the Old Testament. In 
the history of David's flight from Absalom, we read 
that u all the country wept with a loud voice, and all 
the people passed over ; the king also himself passed 



ASCENT OF MOUNT OLIVET. 209 

over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed 
over toward the way of the wilderness. And David 
went up by the ascent of Mount Olivet, and wept as 
he went up, and had his head covered ; and he went 
barefoot; and all the people that was with him 
covered every man his head, and they went up, 
weeping as they went up."* What a season of hu- 
miliation was this for the illustrious King of Israel, 
when driven from his capital by the cruel conspiracy 
of his own best-beloved son ! What significant signs 
of grief were these, in prince and people, fleeing 
barefooted, with their heads covered, and weeping as 
they went ! How forcibly does this history bring 
to our mind that night of darkness, and sorrow, and 
perfidy, and betrayal, when a greater king of Israel, 
even David's Lord and ours, went forth from his 
own city, with his weeping disciples, over this 
same path, to Olivet and Grethsemane ; where he 
became "exceeding sorrowful, even unto death;" 
and that, because his "own familiar friend, whom he 
trusted, who did eat of his bread, had lifted up his 
heel against him."f 

About half way up the mountain, following the 
path towards Bethany, we come to the spot which 
tradition points out, with every probability of truth, 
as that where our compassionate Eedeemer shed 



* 2 Sam. xv. 23-30. 



f Ps. xli. 9. 



210 Christ's lamentation 



tears of sorrow over Jerusalem, on the day when he 
entered it in triumph, amid the shouts and songs of 
the multitude, who hailed him as their King Messiah. 
"And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto 
Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he 
sencleth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto 
them, Go your way into the village over against 
you ; and as soon as ye be entered into it ye shall 
find a colt tied, whereon never man sat ; loose him, 
and bring him. And they brought the colt to Jesus, 
and cast their garments on him ; and he sat upon 
him."* " And a very great multitude spread their 
garments in the way; others cut down branches 
from the trees, and strewed them in the way. And the 
multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, 
saying, Hosanna to the Son of David ! Blessed is he 
that cometh in the name of the Lord ; Hosanna in 
the highest!"' "And when he was come nigh, even 
now at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole 
multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise 
God with a loud voice, for all the mighty works 
that they had seen ; saying, Blessed be the king that 
cometh in the name of the Lord ; peace in heaven, 
and glory in the highest." "And when he was 
come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, say- 
ing, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this 



» Mark xi. 1, 2, 7. 



OVER JERUSALEM. 



211 



thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace ! 
But now they are hid from thine eyes. For the 
days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall 
cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, 
and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee 
even with the ground, and thy children within thee; 
and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon 
another; because thou knewest not the time of thy 
visitation."* 

From the spot where this lamentation and this 
prophecy are said to have been uttered, the whole 
city is spread out as a map before you ; it seems as 
if every building in it was distinctly visible. The 
area of the ancient temple is directly opposite, and 
you look down upon the Mosques of Omar and 
Achsah, where the temple of Solomon once stood; 
near to it, adjoining the walls, you see the tower of 
the governor's house, the site of Pilate's Judgment 
Hall, and, beyond these, the lofty dome of the Church 
of the Eesurrection, covering Calvary and the Holy 
Sepulchre. It requires but little effort of the imagi- 
nation, to represent Jerusalem to the mind, as it 
appeared when Jesus " beheld the city, and wept 
over it." The visible monuments of his sufferings 
and triumphs are before us, bearing their silent 
testimony to the great things which he has done for 

* Matt. xxi. 8, 9. Luke xix. 37, 38, 41-44. 



212 VIEW FROM THE TOP OF OLIVET. 

us, and pressing home to our hearts the solemn 
inquiry, "How shall we escape, if we neglect so 
great salvation?" 

We continue our ascent of the mountain, until we 
reach its highest point, from which we have a com- 
manding view all around ; a view, for extent and 
beauty, aside from its historical and scriptural in- 
terest, rarely equalled. On the west and northwest, 
you look down upon the city ; and beyond it, the 
eye takes in a portion of the plain of Blah, and a 
vast extent of the hill-country of Judea, with the 
sites of Mizpeh, Gibeon, Eamah, Gribeah, and Ana- 
thoth ; towards the east is the northern portion of 
the Dead Sea, appearing, from the purity of the 
atmosphere, almost at your feet, although many 
miles distant; with the valley of the Jordan, through 
which the river is seen to wind, and the range of 
the mountains of Moab stretching along in an un- 
broken line upon the horizon. Southward you look 
towards the plain of Mamre, or Hebron. 

On this summit, a small Christian church, now in 
possession of the Armenians, marks the supposed 
site of the ascension. It is situated in the court of a 
mosque, from the minaret of which you enjoy the 
best view that the summit affords. "Whether this is 
actually the site of the ascension or not, we know 
that it was somewhere on Olivet, and somewhere 
near Bethany. 



PLACE OF THE ASCENSION. 213 

St. Luke tells us in his Gospel, that our Lord led 
his disciples " out as far as to Bethany ;" that is, 
according to some commentators, to the district 
belonging to the village of that name ; " and he 
lifted up his hands and blessed them. And it came 
to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from 
them and carried up into heaven. And they wor- 
shipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great 
joy. 7 '* The same evangelist, on another occasion, 
describing the ascension, adds, "Then returned they 
unto Jerusalem, from the mount called Olivet, which 
is from Jerusalem a Sabbath day's journey "f 

Here then it was, or near to this, that our Divine 
Eedeemer held his last interview with his disciples; 
here he gave them his parting counsel, and lifted up 
his hands and blessed them ; and then, " while they 
beheld, he was taken up ; and a cloud received him 
out of their sight." And while they are still gazing 
upward, with wonder and with awe, angelic mes- 
sengers, ministering spirits sent to comfort them, 
proclaim the solemn but consoling truth, "This same 
Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, 
shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him 
go into heaven.";}: 

And it may be, that his next appearance on 
earth, will be on this same spot. There is a 

* Luke xxiv. 50, 52. f Acts i. 12. J Acts i. 9, 11. 
19 



214 PROPHECY CONCERNING 

remarkable prophecy of Zechariah, which seems to 
intimate that Mount Olivet will be hereafter the 
scene of some great miracle, connected with- his 
second coming. Yet, as we cannot be too cautions 
in interpreting unfulfilled prophecy, I would not 
venture an interpretation of this. The prophet says, 
u His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount 
of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east; 
and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst 
thereof toward the east and toward the west, and 
there shall be a very great valley ; and half of the 
mountain shall remove toward the north, and half 
of it toward the south."* As there are to be fearful 
commotions, and earthquakes in divers places, and 
it is said that he M will gather all nations into the 
valley of Jehoshaphat,"f may it not be, that the rend- 
ing of Mount Olivet will be one of those signs and 
wonders, which are to precede and attend the second 
coming of the Son of Man ? But whether his next 
appearance " in the clouds of heaven, with power 
and great glory," be here, or elsewhere, of this we are 
assured, that he " will so come in like manner, as he 
ascended into heaven," and that he will manifest 
himself to an assembled world ; a every eye shall 
see himt" 

* Zech. xiv. 4. t Joel ii. 2, 12. 



THE MOUNT OF OLIVES. 



215 



But the setting sun is lengthening the shadows 
upon the mountains, and we hasten our return to 
the city ; for at nightfall the gates are shut, and no 
person is allowed to enter, except by special per- 
mission. 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE JORDAN AND DEAD SEA. 

March 13. Our dragoman, with his usual prompt- 
ness and fidelity, had made all necessary preparations 
for our excursion to the Jordan and Dead Sea. Our 
horses and sumpter mules were ready at an early 
hour, and we proceeded with our tents and lug- 
gage to the outside of St. Stephen's gate, where 
other parties were to join us, together with the 
Sheik of the district, and a number of his own tribe 
of Bedouins, who were to be our escort. It is quite 
necessary to have a guard, under the command of 
the Arab chief, who rules over the district between 
Jerusalem and the Dead Sea, to protect you from 
robbers ; and with such a precaution you are quite 
safe. The Sheik claims the right of escorting all 
travellers through his own territory, for which he 
receives a large backsheesh ; and if he is denied this 
privilege, you run the risk of being plundered by 
his own tribe. 

Our whole company consisted of thirteen travel- 



BETHANY. 



217 



lers, nine of whom were English, one French, and 
three Americans ; and thirteen Arabs. Our Sheik, 
with his Bedouin, guard, in their graceful cos- 
tume, well mounted, and armed with pistols, sabres, 
and spears, made quite a formidable appearance. 
After waiting a considerable time, outside the city 
walls, for those of the party who were to meet 
us there, we went on ahead with Hassanein, for the 
purpose of seeing Bethany, which lay on our route ; 
leaving the others to follow, and overtake us a little 
beyond. 

Bethany is situated in a secluded spot, surrounded 
by olive, fig, and pomegranate-trees, upon the east- 
ern slope of the Mount of Olives, fifteen furlongs, 
nearly two miles, from Jerusalem. Twenty or thirty 
dilapidated huts, inhabited by a few poor Arabs, 
now constitute the village. But what a crowd of 
delightful associations does the sight of that humble 
village, in that quiet dell, awaken ! Here is the spot 
where our Lord's dearest friends, Lazarus and his 
sisters, dwelt; and where he often came to seek 
repose from his arduous labours, and to enjoy the 
pleasures of social intercourse with those whom he 
loved.* Here it was, that "a woman, having an 
alabaster box of very precious ointment, poured it 
on his head, as he sat at meat,"f a few days before 

* St. Matthew xxi. 17. Mark xi. 11. j* Matt. xxvi. 7* 

19* 



218 



TOMB OF LAZARUS. 



his crucifixion. St. John tells us that it was Mary, 
the sister of Lazarus, who performed this pious act 
and our Saviour says, that " she did it for his 
burial."f 

Near to the village is a cave, hewed out of the 
rock, which tradition points out as the tomb of 
Lazarus. The entrance is a square door in the hill- 
side ; a steep flight of thirty stone steps leads down 
into a room, ten feet square and twelve feet high, 
which is evidently an ancient sepulchre. I see no 
reason to doubt, that this is the place where our 
Divine Eedeemer demonstrated his power, over 
death, when ''he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, 
come forth! And he that was dead came forth 
thus confirming the truth of that precious promise, 
which he then made, and which has ever since been 
the comfort and the hope of Christian mourners, 
"I am the resurrection and the life; he that be- 
lieveth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he 
live ; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall 
never die."§ A few flowers, beautiful emblems of 
the resurrection, were blooming over the mouth of 
the tomb. We gathered and preserved some of 
them, as memorials of this sacred spot. 

Two miles beyond Bethany, we came to a large 



* John xii. 1, 7. 
J Jno. xi. 43, 44. 



f Matt, xxvi, 12. 
§ Jno. xi. 25, 26. 



ROAD TO JERICHO. 



219 



flowing fountain, known as the "Fountain of the 
Apostles," from a tradition that here our Lord's dis- 
ciples were wont to resort. It was a cool and re- 
freshing place, and we rested for a while, until those 
of our company, with the Sheik and escort, whom 
we left behind at Jerusalem, joined us ; as here the 
difficulties and dangers of the journey begin. From 
this, to the plains of Jericho, is as rough, dreary, 
and desolate a road, as can well be imagined ; up 
steep mountain sides, rocky, bleak, and bare ; and 
down through narrow defiles, overhung by lofty 
precipices, and infested by bands of robbers, as it 
was of old, when our Saviour uttered that beautiful 
parable, probably a true history, of " a certain man 
who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell 
among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, 
and wounded him, and departed leaving him half 
dead."* It is the same path which Jesus travelled, 
on his last journey from Jericho to Jerusalem, by 
the way of Bethany ; when he made his triumphal 
entry into the Holy City, the week before his cruci- 
fixion. 

Before reaching Jericho, we sent forward our ser- 
vants and baggage, 'and turned aside, a mile or two 
out of our path, to visit the fountain of Elisha, as 
it is now called ; and which, in the time of the Cru- 



* Luke x. 30. 



220 



FOUNTAIN OF ELISHA. 



sades, was appropriately named " the Diamond of 
the desert." ' It is of an extraordinary size, gushing 
out at the foot of a hill, into a basin, or reservoir, 
some forty or fifty feet across, and then flowing off 
in a brook sufficiently large to supply with water a 
populous city, as Jericho was in its most prosperous 
days. This brook soon divides into smaller streams, 
which make their way towards the Jordan, fertiliz- 
ing the plain for many miles. It is not, however, 
the size and beauty of the fountain, or its cool and 
pleasant taste, that give it interest, so much as the 
miracle which was wrought upon its then bitter 
waters, nearly three thousand years ago. They 
flow now, probably, just as they flowed then, when 
the prophet "went forth unto the spring of the 
waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus 
saith the Lord, I have healed these waters ; there 
shall not be from thence any more dearth or barren 
land. So the waters were healed unto this day, 
according to the saying of Elisha, which he spake."* 
We followed the course of the principal stream, 
across the plain, about two miles, when we reached 
our tents, which were pitched near to the ruins of 
a large stone tower. The distance from Jerusalem 
is nineteen miles ; and the descent is three thousand 
five hundred feet ; Jerusalem being that much higher 



* 2 Kings ii. 21, 22. 



JERICHO. 



221 



than this valley. We were now upon that great 
" plain of Jordan," which, in the days of Abraham, 
" was well watered everywhere, before the Lord de- 
stroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden 
of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest 
■unto Zoar."* And we were on the supposed site of 
ancient Jericho ; a city more famous in Jewish his- 
tory than almost any other. It was the first great 
walled town taken by the Israelites, on their en- 
trance into Canaan ; when it was utterly overthrown 
and destroyed, and a curse pronounced against him 
who should rebuild it. "And Joshua adjured them 
at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the 
Lord that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho ; 
he shall lay the foundation thereof in his first born, 
and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of 
it."f It was, however, rebuilt, five hundred years 
after, in the time of Ahab, by " Hiel the Bethelite," 
who was punished for his temerity, in the manner 
predicted ; " he laid the foundation in Abiram his 
first born, and set up the gates thereof in his young- 
est son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, 
which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun."J Jeri- 
cho soon after became one of the sacred cities, cele- 
brated for its school of the prophets ;§ and, in our 



* Gen. xiii. 10. 
t 1 Kings xvi. 34. 



t Jos. xi. 26. 
§ 2 Kings ii. 5. 



222 



PLAIN OF JERICHO. 



Saviour's time, was, next to Jerusalem, the most im- 
portant city in Palestine ; and second only to tlie 
capital in size and magnificence. A miserable Arab 
village now occupies its traditionary site ; and no- 
thing of the ancient city remains, unless a ruinous 
square stone tower, or castle, be a part of it. This ruin, 
from its appearance, would seem to have but a doubt- 
ful claim to so great antiquity. 

That Jericho must have stood, if not on this very 
spot, certainly near to it, there can be no doubt, from 
the position of the single fountain, which supplied 
the city in the days of Elisha. There is no other 
fountain in the neighbourhood but this ; and conse- 
quently none which could have been the subject of 
the prophet's miracle. From our tent door we could 
look over the " plain of the valley of Jericho," here 
not less than twelve or fifteen miles in width ; near 
us, on the west, were the barren and rocky moun- 
tains, through whose narrow defiles we had passed 
in coming " down from Jerusalem." On the east, 
seven miles distant, flowed the Jordan ; and, about 
the same distance beyond, rose the mountains of 
Moab and jSTebo; from one of whose summits, "over 
against Jericho," Moses looked down upon that fair 
and fertile plain, the richest portion of the promised 
land."* 

* Dent, xxxiv. 1, 4, 



CITY OF JERICHO. 



223 



The scene which was presented to our eyes in that 
soft twilight hour of evening, with the gentle mur- 
muring of the brook which flowed near by, from 
the Prophet's Fountain, was calculated to produce 
impressions on the mind and heart not easily effaced; 
to awaken pleasant memories of holy persons and 
events, associated with our earliest years. 

The ancient city of Jericho has passed away, and 
not one of those tall and graceful trees, which made it 
memorable as " the city of palm-trees," now remains. 
But the hills, and mountains, and plain, and that fair 
fountain, are unchanged. We can here sit and think 
of the city as it was in the time of Joshua, when the 
armies of Israel, and the priests bearing the ark, 
encompassed it seven days, and it was then given 
up to destruction or, as in after years, when rebuilt 
with greater splendour, it became a nursery of holy 
men, and Elijah and Elisha were here. "We can 
think how it was in the days of that Greater Pro- 
phet, who came to Jericho, and here abode at the 
house of Zaccheus, to whom he brought salvation ; 
where also he delivered his last parable, that of the 
ten pounds ;f and where he wrought the miracle 
upon blind Bartimeus.J 

The bright, warm day, which had afforded us so 



* Joshua vi. 
t Mark x. 4G. 



f Luke xix. 1, 27. 



224 



RIVER JORDAN. 



much happiness, was succeeded by a clear and beau- 
tiful night. In the mild light of the moon, our 
encampment presented quite a romantic appearance, 
which we wished our friends at home could see. A 
number of Arab women from the village, came round 
our tents, and serenaded us with their songs. Their 
music was none of the sweetest, but it was well 
meant, and a small backsheesh sent them away quite 
satisfied. 

The next morning we were up at a very early 
hour, and at six o'clock were on our way to the 
Jordan, which we reached in an hour and a half, at 
the point where all pilgrims resort ; from the tradi- 
tion, that this is the place where the waters were 
miraculously divided for the Israelites, under Joshua, 
to enter the Holy Land ; that here, too, where the 
ark rested in the bed of the river, St. John was 
baptizing, when our Lord came and was baptized of 
him. Independent of such hallowed associations, it 
is a delightful spot ; and the only one, probably, for 
many miles, where the river is easily approached, on 
account of its precipitous banks, and dense thickets 
of oleander, and other bushes. These form hiding- 
places for wolves and jackals. The late rains, and 
the melting of the snows in the mountains of Leba- 
non, had swollen the stream, here about fifty or sixty 
yards wide, and made it muddy and rapid. In co- 
lour, it resembled the Schuylkill, when it is most 



FORDS OF THE JORDAN. 



225 



turbid ; in taste it was cool and pleasant ; and when 
bottled, it soon became- perfectly clear. We wished 
to bathe in it, and the weather was sufficiently warm ; 
but although accustomed to swim, and not easily 
intimidated, we thought the stream was too rapid to 
render bathing either safe or comfortable. One of 
our party, a young, athletic officer of the British 
army, did venture ; but it was impossible for him to 
make any headway against the current. He, how- 
ever, crossed and recrossed, landing at a point con- 
siderably below that from which he started. We 
remained an hour or two at this place, endeavouring 
to review in memory some of the momentous events 
connected with it, which are recorded in Scripture 
history. Here " the waters of Jordan were cut 
off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord," 
making "a way for the ransomed to pass over;" and 
that mighty host, led on by Joshua, advanced into 
the land of promise, "right against Jericho." "And 
the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the 
Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of 
Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry 
ground, until all the people were passed clean over 
Jordan."* 

More than five centuries after, a similar miracle 
was wrought for two of God's chosen servants, when 



20 



* Josh. iii. 16, 17 ; iv. 7. 



226 



FORDS OF THE JORDAN. 



the prophets Elisha and Elijah went out from Jeri- 
cho, and "stood by Jordan; and Elijah took his 
mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the 
waters, and they were divided hither and thither ; so 
that they two went over on dry ground."* And 
again, when Elisha's master had been received into 
heaven, he " went back and stood by the bank of 
Jordan; and he took the mantle of Elijah that fell 
from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where 
is the Lord God of Elijah? And when he also had 
smitten the waters they parted hither and thither ; 
and Elijah went over."f In these waters, "Naaman, 
captain of the host of the king of Syria," by this 
same prophet's command, sought and found a cure 
of his leprosy ; " he went down, and dipped himself 
seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of 
the man of God ; and his flesh came again like unto 
the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.";}: 

But events infinitely more momentous took place, 
when John the Baptist, Messiah's forerunner, was 
here; and there "went out to him Jerusalem, and all 
Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and 
were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their 
sins." And Jesus himself, that he might "fulfil all 
righteousness," came "from Galilee to Jordan, unto 



* 2 Kings ii. 48. 
t 2 Kings v. 1-14. 



f 2 Kings vi. 13, 14. 



DEAD SEA. 



227 



John, to be baptized of him."' 55 ' And here, on the 
same occasion, miraculous testimony was given to 
our Lord's divinity. " When he was baptized, he 
went up straightway out of the water, and lo, the 
heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the 
Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting 
upon him ; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, 
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." 
It is difficult to tear one's self away from a spot hal- 
lowed by so many associations as this ; but the day 
was advancing, and we had yet some miles to ride, 
and other objects of interest to visit, before we 
reached our place of destination for the night. 

Leaving the fords of the Jordan, and striking di- 
rectly across the plain, a ride of one hour brought 
us to the northern shore of the Dead Sea ; which, at 
the time we saw it, presented nothing of that dark 
and gloomy appearance, that most travellers de- 
scribe. The day indeed was uncommonly fine, and 
under a warm sunny sky of spring, it probably 
showed to the greatest advantage. Its waters were 
clear as the clearest crystal, smooth as the polished 
mirror, and of the brightest blue ; but this is all its 
beauty. It has no green shores, nor vine-clad hills ; 
no groves of olive, or fig, or pomegranate ; it lies 
deep down, thirteen hundred feet lower than the 



* Matt. iii. 13, 17. 



228 



DEAD SEA. 



Mediterranean, among craggy mountains, and rocks 
of gray and yellow limestone, on which no trace of 
verdure is to be seen ; not even a lichen, or a moss, 
or a single blade of grass. There are, however, 
some few plants and bushes near its shores. 

It is well known that this great inland lake, called 
in Scripture the "Salt Sea," the "East Sea," and the 
"Sea of the Plain,"* and, by the Arabs of the pre- 
sent day, "Bahr Lut," the sea of Lot, rolls its silent 
and solitary waves over the once beautiful vale of 
Sidclim, where Lot dwelt, and where stood Sodom 
and Gomorrah, and the three other guilty cities of 
the plain. The country in many places bears evi- 
dence of volcanic action, and is often subject to 
earthquakes ; indeed, the whole region wears an 
aspect of desolation, such as I have seen nowhere 
else; a monument of the terrible judgments with 
which the land was visited. 

The Dead Sea is forty-four miles long, and twelve 
or fourteen miles wide, in its widest part. Its waters 
are so saturated with salts, as to be most nauseous to 
the taste, and very unpleasant to the skin. Those of 
our party who bathed in it, experienced disagreeable 
effects, for many hours afterwards, from the incrust- 
ation which it left behind. Its temperature was 73° ; 
while that of the Jordan was only 60° ; the ther- 

* Gen. xiv. 3. Ezek. xlvii. IS. 2 Kings xiv. 25. 



SODOM AND GOMORRAH. 229 



mometer in the open air, at the same time, standing 
at 77°. We saw several birds flying over it; and 
some small fish, which had probably come down 
from the Jordan, were lying dead upon the shore. 
The aspect of the country, bordering on this sea, 
cannot be better described, than in the words of 
Moses, when predicting the desolation of Judea, for 
the sins of its people. " The whole land thereof is 
brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, 
nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the 
overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and 
Zeboim, which the Lord overthrew in his anger, and 
in his wrath."* 

We sat down upon its pebbly shore, in that 
wild solitude, which was once a fruitful plain, 
"well watered, even as the garden of the Lord," 
and gazed long and earnestly upon that deep 
sea, which is both " the grave and the monument" 
of cities buried there nearly four thousand years 
ago. Before we left, we took a bottle of the water, 
as we had done at the Jordan, to carry home with 
us, as interesting mementoes of our visit. 

A ride of four and a half hours from this, over 
bleak and barren mountains, for the most part, 
though with some little vegetation in the valleys, as 
we receded from the sea, brought us to the place of 



* Deut. xxix. 23. 
20* 



230 CONVENT OF MAR SABA. 

our encampment for the night, -near to the convent 
of Mar Saba. The first two or three hours was 
almost one continual ascent ; and, as we climbed the 
successive mountain ranges, we gained new views of 
the valley of the Jordan, and some fine prospects of 
the Dead Sea, in nearly its whole extent, with the 
mountains of Moab beyond. One never tires of 
looking upon the ever-varying scenery of Judea. 
And however bleak and barren the region may be, 
there is enough of sacred and historical interest, in 
all that he sees, and in every step he takes, to keep 
the spirits always buoyant. At least we found it so. 
There w r as not an hour, or a moment, w T hile we were 
journeying, that it was possible to forget that we 
were in the Holy Land; and, remembering this, how 
could the journey be otherwise than delightful? 

We found our tents, which had been sent on before 
us, pitched in a narrow valley at the foot of the 
mountain, on which the convent is built. Our dinner, 
which was ready for us, was hastily eaten, and we 
were again on horseback, climbing the zigzag path, 
up the steep mountain side, to the convent gate, the 
only point where the building can be approached. 
A loud knock from our dragoman soon brought 
one of the inmates to a loophole, far up in the lofty 
wall above us, to reconnoitre, and find out what we 
wanted. We had taken the necessary precaution, 
before leaving Jerusalem, to obtain a letter from the 



CONVENT OF MAR SABA. 231 

Superior of the Greek convent there, to the head of 
the convent of St. Saba, which is in possession of 
the Greek church. A basket was let down from the 
small window in the wall, to receive this commenda- 
tory letter ; and after waiting a few minutes to have 
it examined, the low, narrow iron door was un- 
barred, and we were admitted into this extraordi- 
nary building ; the most wonderful structure, in 
some respects, in all the Bast. 

It is built far down in a narrow defile of the 
mountains, on the side of steep rocky precipices, 
to which it seems to cling like an eagle's eyry. 
Unlike any other building that I have ever seen, 
the entrance is from above. On reaching the 
summit of the mountain, a massive stone wall 
rises before you, like a fortress, with the one 
iron gate just mentioned; and immediately on 
entering this, you descend a long broad flight of 
steps cut in the solid rock, to the ledges on which 
the convent building stands, overhanging the deep 
and fearful chasm below. Some of its tombs, and 
chapels, and cells, are hewn out of the hard rock. 
It is impossible to give an accurate and intelligible 
description of a building so constructed. 

£;t. Saba, a man eminent for his sanctity, and for his 
influence in the Eastern Church, lived the life of an 
anchorite among these mountains, for forty years ; and 
founded this convent, in the early part of the sixth 



232 



BEDOUIN ENCAMPMENT. 



century. He died A. D. 532, at the advanced age of 
ninety-four,* and was buried here. A small chapel, 
surmounted by a dome, and decorated with a few pic- 
tures, is erected over his tomb. The convent church 
is a substantial structure; and, like most Greek 
churches, is gorgeously decorated with paintings 
and gilding. The old primitive church, which was 
probably constructed more than thirteen centuries 
ago, is curious, from being evidently excavated in the 
mountain side. 

"We were received with great courtesy and kind- 
ness by the friars, who treated us to coffee and dried 
fruits, in their large room, which is appropriated to 
guests, and comfortably fitted up with carpets and 
divans. Here, some of our party chose to spend the 
night, while others, like ourselves, preferred sleeping 
in tents. 

Our place of encampment was exceedingly well 
chosen, on a level grassy plain, enclosed by a perfect 
panorama of mountains, whose sides afforded pas- 
turage for numerous flocks. 

Is ear us, a wandering tribe of Bedouins had spread 
out their long, low, black tents, of camels' hair cloth, 
sixteen in all, forming quite a village ; and with their 
wives and children, horses, donkeys, dogs, and ggats, 
presenting a true picture of the habits of these 
descendants of Ishmael. 



* Biblical Res. ii. 27. 



RETURN TO JERUSALEM. 233 



Our own white tents, of which there were no less 
than six or eight, formed a striking contrast to theirs. 
The moon shone so brightly down upon that valley, 
that we could see to read by its light with perfect 
ease ; and, as I looked out upon the camp of the 
Bedouins, and on the tents of our several companies, 
each surrounded by our Arab guides and guards, 
with their horses and mules, all reposing in the 
clear moonlight, I could not but wish, that our friends 
at home could witness such a specimen as this of the 
romance of Eastern travelling. 

At six o'clock the next morning, we started on 
our return to Jerusalem, which we reached in about 
two hours ; following the path up the valley of Hin- 
nom, stopping a short time at En Eogel, or Joab's 
well, and entering the city by the Jaffa gate. 

After resting awhile at our convent, one of the 
Franciscan friars, Fra Salvatore, who had been very 
kind to us during our stay, went with us to their 
chapel on Calvary, to the church and tomb of the 
Virgin, by the side of Gethsemane, and into the 
garden ; all of which places are in possession of the 
Latins. 

A flight of steps leads down to a square 
area, in front of a low building, which forms the 
entrance to the tomb of the Virgin. This latter is a 
gothic chapel excavated in the rock of Olivet, and 
approached by another and larger flight of stairs, 



234 



TOMB OF THE VIRGIN". 



also cut in the rock. A cave near by, called the 
Grotto of Gethsernane, is pointed out as the place 
where Jesus was withdrawn from his disciples, 
" about a stone's cast, and kneeled down and prayed," 
at the time of his agony, and when " an angel 
appeared unto him from heaven, strengthening 
him."* I need not repeat, that I attach very little 
importance to such traditions as these ; but the cave 
is certainly worth visiting; and the so-called "Tomb 
of the Virgin Mary," though perhaps the least 
known, " is the most romantic sanctuary of any 
that is to be found in Palestine." 



* Luke xxii. 41, 43, 



CHAPTER X. 



JERUSALEM TO NAZARETH. 



March 16. The time had now arrived for our 
departure from the Holy City; and we made our 
preparations to leave at an early hour in the morn- 
ing, so that we might, if possible, spend the night 
at Bethel. But, as usual, the Arabs were not ready 
in time with the horses and mules. There was great 
delay in arranging their loads, and it was eleven 
o'clock before all was settled to their satisfaction. 
Just as we were mounting our horses, a note was 
handed me, from the Bishop of Jerusalem, inviting 
me to attend a missionary meeting, to be held at his 
house that evening. This increased my regret, that 
I could not remain one day longer. But all things 
being ready, we deemed it best to push on as far as 
we could, that afternoon ; although it began to rain 
slightly, and continued a little showery through the 
day. "We bade an affectionate farewell to Fra Salva- 
tore, and to our other kind friends in the convent, 
whose hospitality we shall never forget. They had 



236 



RAM AH. — GIBEON. 



done all in their power to make our stay in Jerusa- 
lem agreeable, and at our departure, the Superior 
of the convent gave each of us certificates that, as 
true pilgrims, we had visited the most sacred locali- 
ties, and were now entitled to the honourable title of 
Hadji. 

Our route was north, over the mountains of Judah; 
and after half an hour's ride, we had reached the 
summit of the first range, from which we had a 
lovely view of the city, the Mount of Olives, and 
"the hills which stand about Jerusalem." It was 
our last look upon those sacred places ; and we 
turned to pursue our way, with sorrow in our hearts, 
that we should never visit them again; but with 
deepest gratitude, that we had once enjoyed so great 
a privilege. 

In about two hours more, we passed near to 
En Eain, the Eamah of Scripture, where Samuel 
was born, and where he died and was buried." 
A little to the south of it was Gibeon, "the 
great city," in the time of Joshua, and the scene 
of one of the most wonderful miracles recorded 
in the Old Testament. It w r as here that Joshua 
u said, in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still 
upon Gibeon ; and thou, Moon, in the valley of 
Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon 



* 1 Sam. i. 19 ; xxv. 1. 



BEEEOTH. 



237 



stayed, until the people had avenged themselves 
upon their enemies."* 

Leaving Gibeah of Saul upon our right, we reach- 
ed, at half past two o'clock, the ancient Beeroth,f 
now called El Beer, the Well ; a considerable village, 
which derives its name from a large fountain of 
clear, cool, and delicious water, at the foot of the hill 
on which the town is built. Tradition says, that this 
is the place where Joseph and Mary, with their com- 
pany, were resting, when they missed " the child 
Jesus and not finding him here, " turned back again 
to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that 
after three days they found him in the temple, sitting 
in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and 
asking them questions.";]: Whether this tradition 
be true or not, there can be little doubt that, as this 
well is on the direct road from Nazareth, the Holy 
Family often rested here, when they "went up to 
Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover." 

It was our intention to reach Bethel, not more 
than four miles further north, but the road was 
muddy, and there was a prospect of more rain. We 
therefore concluded to remain at Beeroth, and take 
shelter in an Arab house, rather than pitch our tents 
upon the damp ground. We had fixed ourselves, 
as we thought, vepy comfortably for the night, in the 

* Joshua x. 2-13. f Josh, xviii. 25. } Luke ii. 40-46. 

21 



238 



AEAB HOUSE. 



first place that offered, when Hassanein came to say, 
that he had found a larger and more commodious 
house, in another part of the village; and we accord- 
ingly changed our quarters. The building was of 
stone; the ground floor being a stable. Over this was 
a single room, elevated about six feet, and large 
enough to hold our three camp beds,, and afford suf- 
ficient space besides for the Arab family. The 
women and children had, for their sleeping apart- 
ment, a deep recess in a corner of the room, in 
front of which was a woollen screen. 

The access to this room was by three or four irre- 
gular stone steps, up which we climbed, as into a 
hay loft, with the aid of our hands. A single open- 
ing in the outer wall, about a foot square, served to 
admit a little light and air, and afforded an escape 
for the smoke. Our men, horses, and mules, were 
immediately under us. There was no partition 
between the stable and the dwelling, other than the 
floor. The fronts of both were open, without wall or 
screen, and there was a common entrance for men 
and animals. Some of the Arabs sat by the broad 
stone hearth, nursing a sick child, and kept up a 
bright fire of brushwood, the greater part of the 
night. But we were too wearied to be disturbed by 
them, or by the noise of the animals below; and 
with our own clean comfortable beds, we had an 
excellent night's rest. It was the first time, since 
leaving Cairo, that we had slept out of our tent, if 



BETHEL. 



239 



we except our stay in Jerusalem, when the Latin 
Convent was our home. 

In all probability, the khan, or inn, to which 
Joseph and Mary went in Bethlehem, was a build- 
ing similarly constructed to this ; the upper apart- 
ments being designed for travellers, and the lower 
for their asses and camels. On their arrival, 
the upper rooms were already filled with persons 
who had come to "the taxing;" and the parents 
of our Lord were obliged to take such accom- 
modations as they could find on the ground floor, 
among the beasts of the stall. Hence it is said, that 
when the blessed Virgin "brought forth her first 
born son, she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and 
laid him in a manger ; because there was no room 
for them in the inn."* 

At eight o'clock the next morning, we were again 
on our journey, and in one hour reached Beitin, the 
ancient Bethel, celebrated in Scripture history, as the 
place near to which Abraham pitched his tent, when 
he came from Haran ;f where Jacob had his vision 
of angels; when the God of his fathers, Abraham 
and Isaac, appeared unto him, and promised that all 
that land should be his inheritance, and that in him 
and his seed, should " all the families of the earth be 
blessed."^: Here, eight hundred years after, the 
wicked Jeroboam set up one of his golden calves, 

* Luke ii. 7. f Gen. xii. 8. | Gen. xxviii. 10-19. 



240 



AIN A BROOT. 



and made it the centre of his gross idolatry. He 
sacrificed " unto the calves that he had made ; and 
he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places 
which he had made."* Here, too, after a lapse of 
nearly four centuries more, that remarkable pro- 
phecy was fulfilled by good king Josiah, when he 
broke down the idol altar in Bethel, and burnt men's 
bones upon it.f . 

Near to the present village, on the summit 
of a hill, are extensive ruins of some great 
buildings ; in the walls of which are incorporated 
sculptured stones of a much older date, which pro- 
bably belonged to the ancient city ; and it may be, 
that among them, are still some portions of Jero- 
boam's idol temple. There is also, near by, a large 
square pool of masonry, similar to the pool of 
Bethesda, and apparently equal to it in size. 

The day was as fine as we could have desired; 
and our ride, throughout, over lofty hills, and across 
fertile valleys, was very delightful. We passed 
several good-looking villages, but made no stop at 
any of them. Among the most beautiful, for situa- 
tion, was Ain a Broot, three miles north of Bethel. 
It stands on the summit of a hill, — as indeed almost 
all the villages and towns in Syria do, — adjoining 
a narrow plain. In all the valleys, the Arab Fella- 

* 1 Kings xii. 29-32. 

f Compare 1 Kings xiii. 1, 2, with 2 Kings xxiii. 15-17. 



SHILOH. 



241 



hin were busy turning the ground with, the primitive 
wooden plough, of the rudest construction ; but even 
in this peaceful occupation, each one carried a long 
gun slung over his shoulder, to protect him from 
the predatory Bedouins. 

In about five hours after leaving Bethel, we 
entered the land of the Samaritans. As we de- 
scended the mountain ridge which separates Judea 
from Samaria, a charming valley lay before us; 
and at a little distance on our right, crowning a 
conical hill, and surrounded by this valley, was 
the village of Seiloon, the ancient Shiloh; where 
the tabernacle of the Lord was first set up, and 
where Joshua divided the land by lot unto the chil- 
dren of Israel.* Here " the child Samuel ministered 
unto the Lord; 7 ' here was the appointed place of 
worship and sacrifice, for three centuries ; until the 
sins of the nation provoked the Lord to deliver the 
ark of the covenant into the hands of their enemies. 
" Go ye now unto my place, which was in Shiloh, 
w r here I set my name at the first, and see what I 
did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel." 
" He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, even the tent 
that he had pitched among men. He delivered their 
power into captivity, and their beauty into the 
enemies' hand."f That small village, on the hill-top, 

* Josh., xviii. 1-10, and 1 Sam. iii. 1 ; iv. 3. 
t Jer. vii. 12. Psalm lxxviii. 60, 61. 

21* 



242 



VALLEY OF NABLOUS. 



is all that remains to mark the place, once blessed, 
above all other places, with the immediate presence 
of Jehovah. 

Just beyond Shiloh, in crossing a mountain ridge ? 
we had a glimpse of the distant Mediterranean ; and, 
in two hours more, we came to the town of Ha- 
warreh, where is a fine spring and reservoir, around 
which a number of Bedouins were seated. Our 
path was near to the walls of this town, which ap- 
peared to be a place of considerable importance. 
In another two hours, we entered upon a valley, 
broader, richer, and much more beautiful, than any 
we had crossed to-day. It was the valley of Nablous. 
At the further end of it, towered those two celebrated 
mountains, Ebal and Grerizim; and, at their base, in 
a narrow plain, lay the large and well built town of 
Isablous; the Shechem, or Sichem, of the old Testa- 
ment, and the Sychar of the New. 

Few sacred localities possess greater historical 
interest, and none are more clearly identified, than 
those which are in and around this valley. When 
Abraham left his native land, and came to sojourn in 
Canaan, he erected here in Sichem, on " the plain of 
Moreh," his first altar unto the Lord, who appeared 
unto him* in this place, and promised that his pos- 
terity should inherit the land. On this plain, Jacob 



* Gen. xii. 6, 7. 



JACOB'S WELL. — JOSEPH'S TOMB. 243 

" pitched his tent before the city," and built an altar, 
and " bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread 
his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shec- 
hem's father, for an hundred pieces of money,"* and 
gave it to his son Joseph, for a burial place. 

At the entrance of the narrow valley, between Geri- 
zim and Bbal, as you approach the city of Sychar from 
the south, is a pile of roughly hewn stones, surround- 
ing a deep well, with some broken columns lying near. 
This is Jacob's Well ; the place where our Saviour, 
wearied with his journey from Nazareth, sat down 
to rest ; where he held that memorable conversation 
with the woman of Samaria, who came hither to 
draw water, and to whom Jesus revealed himself as 
the Messiah.f The water continues to flow as it did 
then, "and the well is deep." 

A few hundred yards distant, is a square stone 
structure, open at the top, and enclosing a kind 
of sarcophagus. This is known as Joseph's tomb ; 
and I see no reason to doubt the truth of the 
tradition, that the patriarch was buried here. The 
locality agrees, in all respects, with the Scriptural 
account of his burial. "The bones of Joseph, 
which the children of Israel brought up out of 
Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of 
ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor 
the father of Shechem, for an hundred pieces of sil- 



* Gen. xxiii. 18-20. 



t John iv. 5-30. 



244 



GERIZIM AND EBAL. 



vet ; and it became the inheritance of the children of 
Joseph."* 

The town is delightfully situated in a vale, not 
more than a quarter of a mile wide, between those 
two lofty mountains, Ebal and Gerizim, the former 
on the north, and the latter on the south ; memora- 
ble in Jewish history, as the appointed places for 
pronouncing the blessings and the curses on the 
Israelites. " Thou shalt put the blessing upon 
mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal. 5 ' 
" And these shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless 
the people, when ye are come over Jordan ; Simeon, 
and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and 
Benjamin. And these shall stand upon mount Ebal 
to curse ; Eeuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zabulon, 
Dan, and Naphtali." This command was literally 
fulfilled, when Joshua took possession of the pro- 
mised land. He "built an altar unto the Lord God 
of Israel in mount Ebal ; and all Israel, and their 
elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this 
side the ark, and on that side, before the priests 
the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of 
the Lord, as well the stranger as he that was born 
among them ; half of them over against mount 
Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal ; 
and afterward he read all the words of the law, the 



* Josh. xxiv. 32. 



JACOB'S WELL. 



245 



blessings and cursings, according to all that is 
written in the book of the law."* 

No place could have been more favourable, 
for such a gathering of the whole congregation 
of Israel, and for such a purpose, than these two 
mountains, and the valley between them; and 
sublime indeed must have been the spectacle, when 
their great leader Joshua marshalled here their as- 
sembled hosts, in the order of their tribes, and pro- 
claimed to them the blessings of obedience, and the 
curses of disobedience, to the law of the Lord their 
God. 

As we sat down on the side of Jacob's well, 
where our Divine Eedeemer sat in converse with 
the Samaritan woman, how forcibly was that inter- 
view brought to our minds ; and what an additional 
interest did the scenes around us impart to every 
word which he then uttered. Before us rose, ap- 
parently to the height of nearly a thousand feet, 
mount Ebal, where Joshua built his altar, and op- 
posite to it, equal in height, was Gerizim, on whose 
summit stood the sacred place of the Samaritans ; 
the sight of these reminding us of that expression 
of the woman, " Our fathers worshipped in this 
mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place 
where men ought to worship." But " Jesus saith 
unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, and 



* Dent, xi. 29 ; xxvii. 4, 5, 12, 13. Josh. viii. 30-35. 



246 



Joseph's tomb. 



now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the 
Father in spirit and in truth ;" not in that mountain 
only, nor yet in Jerusalem ; but everywhere, through- 
out the whole world. And when she speaks of her 
belief in the Messias that should come, who is called 
Christ, who should reveal all things, how graciously 
does our blessed Lord reply, "I that speak unto thee 
am he thus giving the first revelation of himself to 
the Samaritans, the ancient, implacable enemies of 
the Jews, as the Saviour who was to abolish all dis- 
tinction between Jew and Gentile.* 

Nor was our visit to the tomb of Joseph without 
associations of the deepest interest. Many were the 
thoughts that crowded into my mind as I entered it, 
and stood, probably, over the very spot where his 
dust reposes. I remembered his dying charge to his 
brethren in Egypt, " God will surely visit you, and 
ye shall carry up my bones from hence ;"f and how 
faithfully Moses fulfilled the command, two hundred 
years after the Patriarch's death. In that memora- 
ble night, when Israel left their house of bondage, 
" Moses took the bones of Joseph with him." These 
sacred remains were carefully preserved, and carried 
about by the Israelites, through their forty years 
wanderings in the wilderness; and when brought to 
the promised land, they were " carried over into 



* John iv. 1-26. 



f Gen. i. 25-26. 



NABLOUS. 



247 



Sichem" and laid, with pious solemnity, in his own 
sepulchre.* 

Nablous is a walled town, long and narrow, with 
lofty stone houses, better built than those which are 
generally found in Syria, and very narrow streets. 
We entered at the southwestern gate, and rode the 
whole length of the city, through the principal street, 
in which are the bazaars. The sidewalks are ele- 
vated some two or three feet, and are not more than 
two feet in width ; leaving a path three feet wide, 
for mules or camels. A rapid brook of clear water 
runs through the whole length of the street ; and, as 
we rode in it, the water rose half way to our horses' 
knees. We passed out at the northern gate, and 
encamped a short distance from the city, on a beau- 
tiful knoll, surrounded by olive-trees, in the vale of 
Sychar, between Gerizim and Ebal. It was quite 
night by the time our tents were pitched, and glad 
were we to rest, after the fatigue and excitement of 
the day. 

A good night's repose prepared us for an early 
start the next morning. Leaving our luggage to 
take the direct road northward, we turned aside, 
towards the east, to visit Sebaste, the ancient Sama- 
ria, the capital of the kingdom of Israel. A ride of 
three and a half hours, the first part of it through 



* Acts vii. 16. 



248 



SAMARIA. 



the rich and well watered valley of Sychar, and the 
remainder over hills abounding in olive and fig- 
trees, brought us to the village of Sebaste, near to 
which are the ruins of Samaria. It overlooks a 
charming plain, and commands, I think, the finest 
prospect of cultivated hill and valley, that we have 
seen any where in the Holy Land. 

The ruins of 'the ancient city, crowning the summit 
of a mountain, are exceedingly picturesque. It must 
have been a magnificent city in the days of Israel's 
prosperity ; and afterward, in the time of the Eomans, 
under Herod the Great, by whom it was rebuilt and 
fortified, and named Sebaste, in honour of Augustus. 
The principal remains are those of an ancient church, 
consecrated to St. John the Baptist, who is said to 
have been buried here. A part of the church is 
now a Turkish mosque. There are also portions of 
a gate of the old city, and numerous monolithic co- 
lumns. Many of the columns are fallen, but the 
greater part are erect, though deprived of their capi- 
tals, and some of them much broken. They appear 
to have formed the colonnades of some great palace, 
or temple. We counted forty, each of a single stone, 
standing in one row, within the space of a few hun- 
dred feet; and there are probably more than a hun- 
dred similar columns, on the summit and sides of the 
hill. 

There is perhaps no city of the Bible, excepting 



SAMARIA. 



249 



Jerusalem, that was the scene of more thrilling events 
than Samaria, or more frequently the subject of 
divine prophecy. Only fifty years after the death of 
Solomon, and the revolt of the ten tribes, Omri, 
king of Israel, built Samaria, and made it the seat 
of his kingdom. " He bought the hill Samaria of 
Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the 
hill, and called the name of the city which he built, 
after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Sama- 
ria."* His son and successor, the infamous Ahab, 
and the more infamous Jezebel his wife, rendered 
the city notorious for their idolatries, for the wor- 
ship of Baal, and for their wholesale slaughter of 
the Lord's prophets. Here Elijah and Elisha dwelt, 
and boldly rebuked the vices of the nation. Ahab 
built an ivory palace here, and here he was buried.f 
Benhadad, king of Syria, besieged the city with an 
immense host, and he and the "thirty and two kings 
with him," were defeated with great slaughter.^ A 
like miraculous deliverance was afforded, when Ben- 
hadad again " went up and besieged Samaria," until 
the most awful famine prevailed within its walls; 
so that " the tender and delicate women" ate their 
own offspring. Then it was, at the time of their 
sorest distress, Elisha predicted, "Thus saith the 



* 1 Kings xvi. 24. 
t 1 Kings xx. 

22 



f 1 Kings xxii. 37, 39. 



250 



HILL COUNTRY 



Lord, To-morrow about this time shall a measure of 
fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of 
barley for a shekel in the gate of Samaria. And it 
came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the 
king." Here "Naaman, captain of the host of the 
king of Syria," came from Damascus, to be cured of 
his leprosy by Elisha the prophet.* 

iSor is the city without historical interest in the 
early ages of the Christian Church ; for here, imme- 
diately after the martyrdom of St. Stephen, and the 
consequent dispersion of the disciples, the gospel 
was preached with signal success by Philip the Dea- 
con. And " when the apostles which were at Jeru- 
salem heard that Samaria had received the word of 
God, they sent unto them Peter and John," to con- 
firm the new converts, and to bestow on them the Holy 
Ghost.f We lingered long among these venerable 
ruins, and around the church of the Baptist, and re- 
luctantly left them to pursue our journey. 

Our road continued through a rich hilly country, 
with numerous fertile valleys, abounding in springs 
and rivulets, and rich with growing grain, olives, 
vines, pomegranates, and fig trees ; reminding one 
continually of that glowing description, given by 
Moses, of the promised land ; " The Lord thy God 

* 2 Kings v; vi. 24-30; vii. 1-18. 
f Acts viii. 5-17. 



OF SAMAEIA. 



251 



bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of 
water, of fountains and depths that spring out of 
valleys and hills ; a land of wheat, and barley, and 
vines, and fig-trees, and pomegranates ; a land of oil- 
olive, and honey ; a land wherein thou shalt eat 
bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any- 
thing in it."* The trees were of an extraordinary 
size; many of the fig-trees were apparently six feet 
in circumference, and the olive-trees much larger. 
We could easily understand that this was once a land 
of surpassing fruitfulness ; as the prophet expresses 
it, "a land flowing with milk and honey, which is the 
glory of all lands."f As we crossed the high moun- 
tain ranges, we occasionally caught a view of the 
dark blue Mediterranean, stretching far away on our 
left. We passed through several villages, whose in- 
habitants are notorious for their hostility to travel- 
lers ; and at one of them, Jeba, or Gaba, we were 
pelted with stones, by the men and boys. One of our 
party received several bruises, in what he called "an 
inglorious flight." Our gallant Hassanein spurred 
his Arab charger among the crowd, brandishing his 
pistol, and threatening to fire upon them, while we 
made a hasty retreat. 

A few miles further on, we passed unmolested 
through Gabatieh, which has the worst repute of 



* Dent. viii. 7-9. 



f Ezek. xx. 6-1(5. 



252 JE2?IK, OR EN GANNIM. 

any town in Syria, for assaulting Hadjis, whom they 
seem to think it fine fun to stone. I believe we were 
indebted for our escape here, to our dragoman's skill 
in dodging ; for he had often been in the town, and 
was familiar with the crooks and by-ways, which 
would take us a little one side of the usual path. In 
this way, we avoided much observation, and no 
crowd was collected on our approach. 

In half an hour more, we entered a narrow pass 
between the hills, which soon brought us to Jenin, 
probably En Gannim of the Scriptures,* where we 
encamped on a beautiful green spot, just outside the 
walls of the town. An English gentleman, with 
two ladies, had pitched their tents on the same 
ground, near to us. The town is well built, and its 
lofty mosque and minaret, rising above the walls, and 
overhung with palm-trees, have quite a picturesque 
appearance. It is situated at the southern end of 
the great plain of Esdraelon, or valley of Jezreel;f 
and, from our tent, we have a fine view of the plain, 
and of the mountains which bound it beyond. On 
the northwest, about four or five miles distant, are 
to be seen the mountains of Gilboa, famous for that 
great battle between Israel and the Philistines, when 
Israel was defeated, and Saul and his three sons 
were slain.J 

* Josh. xxi. 29. f Judges vi. 33. Hosea i. 5. 

t 1 Sam. xxviii. 4 ; xxxi. 1-8. 



MOUNTAINS OF GILBOA. 



253 



The sight of that mountain, ridge, rising high 
above the plain, with its dark outline depicted on 
the deep blue sky, could not fail to bring to mind 
David's pathetic lamentation over Saul and Jonathan 
his son. "The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy 
high places ; how are the mighty fallen ! Tell it 
not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; 
lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the 
daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. Ye 
mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let 
there be rain upon you, nor fields of offerings ; for 
there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, 
the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed 
with oil. Saul and Jonathan were lovely and plea- 
sant in their lives, and in their death they were not 
divided."* 

The next day was Sunday, and we remained in 
our tents, enjoying so favourable an opportunity of 
reading those portions of Scripture, which related to 
the scenes around us. 

March 20. At eight o'clock we began our ride 
across the plain of Esdraelon, which is here about 
eighteen miles wide; and, at this season of early 
spring, with its fields of grass and grain, and innu- 
merable wild flowers of richest hue, nothing can be 



* 2 Sam. i. 17-27. 
22* 



254 



PLAIN OF ESDRAELON. 



more beautiful than the whole of this great valley. 
On either hand, you have the grandest mountain 
scenery ; and each summit has its sacred associations, 
which rendered our ride to day as interesting as any 
in the Holy Land. Soon after leaving Jenin, we 
had a fine view of GHlboa on our right, and the long 
range of Carmel, stretching its lofty promontory 
into the Mediterranean, on our left ; then appeared 
that most beautiful of mountains, the lesser Hermon ; 
and next, noble Mount Tabor opened upon the right, 
rising up in solitary grandeur from the middle of 
the plain, looking like a giant claiming supreme 
dominion over it. In two hours and a half we came 
to Zenin, a small village situated on a hill, rising 
out of the plain by which it is entirely surrounded, 
and inhabited by Arab Fellahin. Like most of the 
Bedouins, in this part of Palestine, they are thieves 
and idlers. Many of them were seen sitting in the 
streets, and looking fiercely at us as we passed ; but 
although Hassanein anticipated trouble from them, 
we met with none. TVe afterwards saw them 
mounted ; and, from their movements, we could not 
doubt that they meditated an attack, and were only 
deterred by the apparent resistance which w r e 
could make. 

This is the site of ancient Jezreel, celebrated as 
the city of Ahab and Jezebel ; w r here Naboth the 
Jezreelite had his vineyard, which Ahab coveted, 



JSZKEEL. — SHUNEM. — NAIN. 255 

"hard by the palace" of the king. It was the scene 
of that atrocious crime, the murder of Naboth, and 
the awful death which in consequence befell the 
murderess Jezebel.* "The fountain of JezreePf 
still flows at the foot of the hill, as it did, probably, 
in the days of Saul and David, when the armies of 
the Israelites encamped around it, previous to that 
great battle with the Philistines, in which Saul and 
his sons were slain. 

Crossing the valley of Jezreel, we came in half 
an hour to Solam, the Shunem of the Bible, where 
the prophet Elijah dwelt for a long time, in that 
"little chamber on the wall;" and where he restored 
to life the son of the hospitable Shunamite.J It is 
delightfully situated on the edge of the plain, at the 
foot of the lesser Hermon, which rises in beauty and 
grandeur behind it. Our road lay along the base of 
this mountain, close to the same great plain, and in 
half an hour more we passed near to Nain, also at 
the foot of Hermon, but on the opposite side from 
Shunem. 

At a sudden turn in our path, we came in sight 
of this little Arab village of Nain, which bears the 
same name as the ancient city on whose site it stands ; 
where was wrought that wonderful miracle, the 

* 1 Kings xxi. 2 Kings ix. 30-37. f 1 Sam. xxix. 1. 
t 2 Kings iv. 8-37. 



256 



ISP A IK. 



raising to life of the widow's son.* The whole 
scene around me, with all the attendant circumstances, 
were in harmony with my feelings, at the recollection 
of the display of divine mercy and power, by Him 
who is M the resurrection and the life." The first 
bright flowers of early spring, beautiful emblems of 
the resurrection, covered all the plain. Birds, 
awakened to new life, poured forth their joyous 
songs. On our left was Carmel, on our right Tabor, 
and Hermon, and Gilboa; and before us the mount- 
ains of Galilee, types of eternity. The path by which 
we were travelling towards Nazareth, could be dis- 
tinctly traced across the plain, and up the mountain 
side, until lost in the distance. 

As we " came nigh to" Isain, every circumstance 
of the touching story of the widow's son seemed 
visibly before us. The long funeral procession, on 
the one hand, winding its way through the gate 
of the city, and down the valley; the hired mourn- 
ers making loud lamentations ; the widowed mo- 
ther, the only real mourner, in silent grief, but 
with a broken heart, following to the grave her 
"only son;" — on the other hand, another procession 
is seen coming from an opposite course, slowly 
crossing the plain, by that path which lies before 
us. 

The Saviour, with his apostles, is on his way 



* Luke vii. 11-17. 



NAIN". — ENDOR. 257 

from Nazareth to Nam, " and many of his disciples, 
and much people are with him." As he approaches 
the city, he meets the funeral train; he whispers 
comfort to the mother, "Weep not;" he lays his 
hands upon the bier, and speaks those words of 
power, in a voice which shall one day awaken the 
dead, "Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And 
he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And 
he delivered him to his mother." The joy of the 
son at finding; himself restored to life again; the 
happiness of the mother in once more embracing 
her child; her gratitude to her great deliverer; the 
wonder and astonishment, and salutary fear that 
"came on all;" the readiness with which they gave 
God the glory, " saying, that a great prophet is risen 
up among us, and that God hath visited his people;" 
all these incidents were forcibly recalled to memory. 
They had a reality in my mind, such as they never 
had before, often as I had read that interesting his- 
tory. And the recollections of the day when I first 
saw Nain, are among the pleasantest of the many 
pleasant memories of the Holy Land. 

As we passed Nain, we could see, about two miles 
distant from it, on our right, the village of Endor, 
which still retains its ancient name. Here Saul 
wickedly consulted with " a woman that had a fami- 
liar spirit," and was answered by the prophet Samuel, 
who came to him, a messenger from the grave, to 



258 



MOUNTAINS OF GALILEE. 



reprove him for his sins, and to foretell his ruin. 
" The Lord will deliver Israel with thee into the 
hands of the Philistines ; and to-morrow shalt thou 
and thy sons be with me."* At the time this pro- 
phecy was uttered, the armies of the Philistines were 
encamped in Shunem, and the hosts of Israel were 
on Mount Gilboa ;f where, the day following, Saul 
and his three sons w r ere slain. 

In four and a half hours after our morning's start, 
we had crossed the plain of Esdraelon, having di- 
verged from the usual route, to visit Jezreel and 
Shunem. We had now reached the northern limit 
of Samaria, and began the ascent of the mountain 
range which separates it from Galilee. We stopped 
a little way up the hill, and alighting from our horses, 
sat down to watch the approach of our baggage 
train, which was to come by the more direct path ; 
but our mules, being heavily laden, and the plain 
wet and slippery, would travel much slower than 
we had done. We had not, however, waited long, 
before they came in sight ; and we saw a party 
of suspicious looking Bedouins, hovering around 
them, well-mounted and armed with guns and spears, 
apparently bent on plunder. As our muleteers, 
headed by Solyman, came near to the foot of the 
hill, we saw that they were stopped by the Arabs, 



* 1 Sam. xxviii. 7-19. 



f Ibid. 4. 



YALE OF NAZARETH. 



259 



and we now thought it best to show ourselves. 
Hassanein called out to our men to come on imme- 
diately, at the same time making a display of his 
firearms ; when the Arabs, seeing that we belonged 
to that party, and were ready to come to their rescue, 
and riot knowing how many more might follow, 
thought good to make a hasty retreat across the 
plain, and were soon out of sight. 

The path up the mountain was steep and rugged ; 
but we reached the summit in less than an hour, and 
stopped to rest our horses, a few minutes, at a foun- 
tain, which flowed into a reservoir of massive ma- 
sonry. From this issued a brook of clear, sweet 
water, which ran murmuring down by the roadside. 
An easy and gradual descent from this fountain, 
brought us, in half an hour more, to a very lovely 
valley, some two or three miles long, and less than 
a mile in width. This is the vale of Nazareth, at 
the western extremity of which could be seen the 
city, crowning a hill, with precipitous hills behind, 
rising high above and overlooking it. Conspicuous 
among the other buildings of the town, were the 
Latin church and convent, and the domes and mina- 
rets of two large mosques. 

We rode up the narrow valley, and passing imme- 
diately through the town, pitched our tents a few 
hundred yards beyond, in a magnificent grove of 
aged olive-trees, and near to the " Virgin's Fountain." 



260 



WELL OF NAZARETH. 



This is a noble spring, which affords an abundant 
supply of delicious water for all the inhabitants. 
"Women vrere here in great numbers, filling their 
water pitchers, and bearing them on their heads, or 
upon their shoulders, to their homes. Not less than 
twenty or thirty of the women of Nazareth, some 
with their faces veiled, and each with an earthen 
pitcher or jar, might be seen standing around the 
fountain at one time. It was a picturesque sight, 
illustrating, in a striking manner, that primitive 
oriental custom, referred to in Scripture, of the 
maidens of a city coming out to draw water at the 
well. The custom is universal throughout the East; 
and the women, probably, wear the same costume 
that was worn more than three thousand years ago, 
and carry the water from the fountains in the same 
manner, as when " Eebekah came out of the city of 
Nahor, with her pitcher upon her shoulder," to "the 
well of water, at the time of the evening, even the 
time that women go out to draw water. 7 '* So it 
was in Abraham's time; so it was in the days of our 
Saviour, when there came a woman of Samaria out 
of the city of Sychar, to draw water from Jacob's 
well. And so it is now, at the well of Nazareth. 
The water is collected in a large stone reservoir, and 
flows thence into a marble trough, where the women 



* Gen. xxiv. 10-20. 



FRANCISCAN CONVENT. 



261 



fill their pitchers. The fountain, which supplies the 
reservoir, is a few yards distant, and is covered by 
a small church, built by the Greek Christians, who 
claim this as the place of the annunciation. The 
Latins, however, maintain that their church and 
convent, within the walls, are on the site of the 
house where the Virgin Mary dwelt, when the angel 
announced to her, that she, "the highly favoured of 
the Lord," the " blessed among women," should be 
the mother of the Messiah.* 

Our first visit in the city was to the Franciscan 
Convent, a large, well-built stone structure, where 
travellers, who desire it, can always find comfortable 
accommodation, and are hospitably entertained; but 
we preferred our canvass covering, to stone walls. 
"The church of the annunciation," as it is called, 
belonging to the convent, is built over two grottoes, 
or chambers, excavated in the rock, on which, it is 
said, stood the house of Mary. You descend, by a 
long flight of steps, to the first of these caves, which 
is fitted up as a chapel, with the usual Eomish deco- 
rations. A broken stone column marks the spot 
where the angel stood. A few hundred yards from 
the convent, in another street, is shown the room, 
where it is said, Joseph worked at his trade, and 

* Luke i. 28. 

23 



262 



NAZARETH. 



where Jesus, while in subjection to his parents, 
laboured with him. 

It is enough to name these traditions, to which I 
attach but very little importance. For what matters 
it, whether this was the carpenter's shop or not ; or 
whether the angel appeared to the Blessed Virgin 
in her own house, as the Latins contend, or at the 
fountain, as the Greeks maintain ? One or the other 
tradition must be false ; and we need care very little 
whether either of them is true. We know this 
momentous fact, from the word of infallible truth 
itself, that "the angel Gabriel was sent from God 
unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin 
espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the 
house of David ; and the virgin's name was Mary."* 
We know that this is the Nazareth, to which the 
angel came ; the city of Joseph and Mary ; the city 
where our divine Eedeemer passed thirty years of 
his life on earth. My eyes look upon the same 
unchanging and lasting hills, which his eyes looked 
upon. I climb up their rugged sides, by paths which 
his blessed feet have trodden. I cross the fields of 
this fair valley, bright and fragrant with flowers, as 
they were when pressed by his steps, in the days of 
his childhood and youth. I drink from that flowing 
fountain, whose waters have often quenched his 



* Luke i. 26, 27. 



NAZARETH. 



263 



thirst. I feel sure that the mountains, and hills, 
and fields, around me, are those which he knew and 
loved. And here, beneath the bright blue sky, on 
the hill-side, or under the shade of the olive grove, 
where numberless birds are singing their songs of 
praise, my mind is free to meditate on Him, who 
here condescended to live as one of us, from infancy 
to manhood; "increasing in wisdom and stature, and 
in favour with Grod and man a pattern of filial love 
and obedience ; and, in every word and action of 
his life, " leaving us an example that we should 
follow his steps," 



CHAPTEE XI. 



SEA OF GALILEE. 



March 21. "We started at a very early hour, for 
an excursion to the Sea of Galilee, by the way of 
Mount Tabor. From the summit of the lofty range 
of hills on the east, which we first crossed, we had a 
charming view of the town and vale of Nazareth, 
looking, in that clear morning light, more beautiful, 
if possible, than w r hen we first saw them. Our road 
lay through a fine country of hill and dale, abounding 
in groves of ancient oaks, and in luxuriant pastures, 
where the wandering Bedouins pitch their tents, 
and feed their flocks. In about two hours, we 
reached the foot of Mount Tabor, which rises, a vast 
solitary truncated cone, on the eastern side of the 
great plain of Esdraelon, or Jezreel, to the height of 
a thousand or twelve hundred feet. Opposite to it, 
some three or four miles distant, is the little Her- 
mon ; little only in comparison with that greater 
mountain, of the same name, in the north of Palestine. 
It is to these that the Psalmist probably refers, when 



MOUNT TABOR. 



265 



he says, " Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy 
name f* though it may be, that the greater Hermon 
is alluded to in that passage. At the foot of Her- 
mon could be distinctly seen the little villages of 
Endor and Nam. 

Our ascent of Mount Tabor was on the north side, 
by a circuitous and very rugged path, among a thick 
growth of small trees, principally oaks. In many 
places the rocks were steep and slippery ; but every 
step upward, as our path wound around the moun- 
tain, brought some new and interesting objects to 
view, which more than repaid us for the fatigue of 
the way. On the summit, which we reached in an 
hour, is a plain about a mile in circumference, and 
some massive remains of gateways and walls of the 
fortified city, which once stood here, called Ataby- 
rion ; or, as the Septuagint has it, Itaburion,t the 
ancient name of Tabor. Several large tanks, or 
wells, belonging to the old fortress, are still in good 
preservation. One of them is said to be sixty feet 
deep ; and, when we saw it, was nearly full of water. 
The ruins of two churches of the transfiguration, 
built by Greeks and Latins, are also here ; this being 
the " high mountain apart," where tradition says our 
Saviour went with three of his disciples, u and was 



* Ps. lxxxix. 12. f Hosea v. 1. 

23* 



266 



MOUNT TABOR. 



transfigured before them."* The view from the 
summit is glorious beyond description ; and believed 
to be one of the finest panoramic landscapes in the 
world. We had seen not more than two which we 
thought would compare with it ; the one, from the 
castellated tower at Eamleh, Arimathea; and the 
other, from the top of the cathedral at Milan. 

From the highest point of Tabor you see the 
whole extent of the bright green plain of Esdraelon, 
the battle-field of nations, encircling the mountain, 
and stretching out to the Mediterranean, with the 
lofty range of Carmel jutting into the sea, on the 
west. On the south, are the mountains of Gilboa, 
and the little Hermon ; on the east, the plain and 
the sea of Galilee, the Jordan and its valley, and the 
mountains of Bashan beyond. On the north, are 
the mountains of lower Galilee; and, far away in 
the northeast, the mountains of Anti Lebanon, with 
mount Hermon the greater, lifting its lofty head, 
covered with perpetual snow. This is the monarch 
of the mountains of Syria, as Mont Blanc is of the 
Alps ; and quite as imposing in appearance. We 
lingered on the summit of Tabor for a full hour, to 
enjoy a view, whose equal we shall probably never 
see again ; and to call to mind some of the many 
stirring events which had occurred here. 



* Matt. xvii. 1, 2. 



PLAIN OF ESDRAELON. 



267 



On this mountain Barak assembled his " ten thou- 
sand men of the children of Naphtali and the chil- 
dren of Zebulon," to deliver Israel from the oppres- 
sion of Jabin king of Canaan. And on the plain be- 
low, " Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even 
nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people 
that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles, 
unto the river Kishon." "And Barak went down 
from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. 
And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, 
and all his host, before Barak ; so that Sisera lighted 
down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet. But 
Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, 
unto Harosheth of the Gentiles ; and all the host of 
Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword ; and there 
was not a man left."* Six centuries after the defeat 
of Sisera, this plain is mentioned in the history of 
the war of the Assyrians, under Nabuchodonosor, 
as " the great plain of Esdrelom," or " Esdrae- 
lon."f Since that period, it has been the chosen 
place of encampment for multitudes of contending 
armies. Jews and Gentiles, Saracens and Christians, 
Persians and Egyptians, Turks and Arabs, "war- 
riors out of every nation which is under heaven," as 
one well remarks, " have pitched their tents in the 
plain of Esdraelon, and have beheld the various 



* Judges iv. 12-16. 



f Judith i. 8 ; iii. 9. 



268 MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION. 

banners of their nations wet with the dews of Tabor 
and Hermon."* The mountain and the plain oc- 
cupy a conspicuous place in the history of the Cru- 
sades, and the campaigns of Napoleon. But how 
do such scenes as these fade into insignificance, be- 
fore that event, with which an uninterrupted tradi- 
tion of fifteen centuries, has hallowed the top of Ta- 
bor ; the transfiguration of our Divine Eedeemer, 
the Prince of Peace! What are the glories of earthly 
kings, in their highest power, compared with that, 
which our Saviour then displayed to the eyes of 
his Avondering disciples, when "his face did shine as 
the sun, and his raiment was white as the light ?" 
And " there came a voice to him from the excellent 
glory," the Shechinah that "overshadowed them," 
saying, " This is my beloved son, in whom I am 
well pleased; hear ye him."f 

We were nearly an hour descending the moun- 
tain ; being obliged to pick our way cautiously 
down the steep and slippery path, to the plain of 
Galilee, over which our route now lay. No garden 
of flowers ever looked gayer than the fields of this 
extensive plain, covered as they were with scarlet 
ranunculuses, bright red tulips, and purple, white, 
and scarlet anemones. You see many acres of these, 



* Dr. E. D. Clark's Travels iv. 258. 
t Matt. xvii. 1-5. 2 Peter i. 17. 



PLAIN OF GALILEE. 



269 



growing thickly together, with their various colours 
intermixed, displaying their gorgeous petals to the 
sun, in one blaze of beauty. It w r as no doubt with 
such a scene before him, that our Saviour uttered 
those encouraging words to the timid and distrust- 
ful heart, " Why take ye thought for raiment ? Con- 
sider the lilies of the field, how they grow ; they toil 
not, neither do they spin ; and yet I say unto you, 
that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed 
like one of these." The mount of Beatitudes, where 
these words were spoken, overlooks a portion of this 
plain. The fields and the flowers of this part of 
Palestine had to me an indescribable charm; for 
they were continually reminding me of the presence 
and teaching of the blessed Jesus, who drew from 
them the themes of his instructive parables. 

In about an hour and a half, from the foot of 
Tabor, we passed the ruins of two Saracenic forts, 
probably erected in the time of the Crusades. In 
two and a half hours more, we had crossed the plain, 
and, on reaching the summit of a gentle slope, we 
beheld a landscape, not only of natural beauty, but 
possessing more sacred associations, than almost any 
other in the Holy Land. Deep down in the valley 
before us, lay the bright blue sea of Galilee ; the 
lake of Gennesaret, or Tiberias, as it is also called ; 
calm and clear, looking like a large mirror in a frame 
of emerald ; so placid were its waters, so green its 



270 



TIBERIAS. 



shores. Our eve took in its entire circumference, 
and a portion of the valley of Jordan above. Be- 
yond, on the west, were the mountains of Bashan, 
and on the north, forty miles distant, could be seen 
the top of Hermon, covered with snow ; a glorious 
object, when the sun shines full upon it. The an- 
cient city of Tiberias, still a considerable walled 
town, its walls and mosques and houses, however, 
much shattered by earthquakes, was a mile below 
us, and immediately on the shore. Descending by a 
steep and winding path, we pitched our tents not far 
from the city walls, and near to the pebbly beach ; 
where we could see the lake in its whole extent. It 
is twelve miles long, and six broad, in its widest 
part. Opposite to Tiberias, its width is not more 
than five miles. The Jordan flows through its cen- 
tre, and its course is said to be distinctly marked by 
the current which it creates. Although so tranquil 
when we saw it, and looking as if it could never be 
disturbed, it is subject to sudden and violent storms 
of wind, which come furiously down through the 
deep ravines of the mountains, by which it is sur- 
rounded. 

There is but little to interest one in the town ; the 
frequent and recent earthquakes having made the 
greater part of it a heap of ruins ; and there is nei- 
ther trade, nor manufactures, nor enterprise, to re- 
store it. Not a single boat now floats on these 



SEA OF GALILEE. 



271 



waters ; and the whole appearance of Herod Agrip- 
pa's once populous and wealthy city, is that of hope- 
less desolation. But what a multitude of thoughts 
crowded upon my mind, as I sat in the door of my 
tent, on that clear still evening, and looked out upon 
the placid lake, reflecting the stars above from its 
glassy surface ! Here my blessed Eedeemer had 
been, again and again, in the discharge of those 
offices of love, which brought him to our earth. Gali- 
lee was the chief scene of his ministry, his miracles, 
and his teaching. His apostles were " men of Gali- 
lee ;" and on this lake they plied their humble trade. 
Here, Christ called Matthew from the receipt of 
custom ; and here he commanded Andrew, and Peter, 
and James, and John, to follow him, and become 
" fishers of men. 7 ' Here he bade Simon " thrust out 
a little from the land,' 7 while he sat in the ship and 
taught the people on the shore. And he immediately 
after gave proof of his divinity, by the miraculous 
draught of fishes, which " filled both the ships, so 
that they began to sink. 77 * In the darkness of the 
night, he walked upon the stormy waves of Genne- 
saret. And when the disciples cried out for fear, he 
spake to them words of comfort — " Be of good cheer ; 
it is I ; be not afraid. "f By his miraculous power 

* Matt. ix. 9 ; iv. 19-21. Luke v. 1-7. 

f Matt. xiv. 25-30. Luke viii. 23. Matt. viii. 24. Mark iv. 
37. 

I ■ 

! 

I 



272 



SEA OF GALILEE. 



he enabled Peter to come upon the boisterous sea 
and meet him. On another occasion, when with his 
disciples in the ship, li there arose a great tempest in 
the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the 
waves, and they were in jeopardy. And he arose and 
rebuked the winds, and said unto the sea, Peace, be 
still ; and there was a great calm." On its shores, 
four miles north of Tiberias, stood that favoured 
city Capernaum, where our Saviour dwelt so long, 
that it was known as his "own city;" where 
many of his mighty works were wrought.* After 
his resurrection, " Jesus showed himself again to his 
disciples at the sea of Tiberias f again manifested 
his glory, by a signal miracle ; thrice made the affect- 
ing inquiry of Peter, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest 
thou me ?" and gave to him the earnest, thrice re- 
peated command, " Feed my lambs."f 

When we retired to our bed, it was not to sleep ; 
but to meditate on events such as these, which im- 
parted so deep an interest to the scenes around us. 

The next morning, while our men were striking 
the tents and loading the mules, we rode about two 
miles down towards the southern shore of the lake, 
to the hot mineral springs. The water issues from 
the foot of the hills, in large streams, at the tempera- 
ture of 150° Fahrenheit ; so hot that it was impossi- 



* Matt. iv. 13 ; ix. 1 ; xi. 23. 



f Jolm xxi. 1-17. 



MOUNT OF BEATITUDES. 273 

ble to hold the hand in it for a single moment, without 
pain. It is collected in large stone reservoirs, and 
then made of any desired temperature. The baths, 
built by Ibrahim Pasha for his own use, are covered 
by a substantial stone structure, and are now kept 
by Arabs for the public benefit. We found several 
persons bathing there at that early hour. 

Eeturning to Tiberias, along the clean pebbly 
shore, we ascended the eastern hills, and took the 
path which leads to Nazareth, by the way of Cana. 
The first three or four miles was a continuous, but 
gradual ascent, affording us a constant view of the 
lake, and its bright green banks, encircled by an 
amphitheatre of hills. In one hour from the time 
we left its shores, we passed some large stones lying 
near our path, which are said to indicate the spot 
where our Saviour fed the five thousand. It was a 
gently sloping field, well suited to the display of 
Christ's almighty power. When we saw it, " there 
was much grass in the place ;" and thousands might 
have reclined there, while each one could have been 
an eye witness of such a miracle as the Gospel re- 
cords. About a mile from this we passed close to 
the foot of Jebel el Hattein, an isolated hill, rising 
gradually from the plain to a moderate height, and 
covered with verdure to its summit. Tradition 
points it out as that on which our Saviour delivered 
those instructions to his disciples, called his Sermon 
24 



274 



CANA OF GALILEE. 



on the mount; and it is therefore known as the 
mount of Beatitudes. Having no reason to doubt 
the truth of this tradition, which is, I believe, re- 
ceived by all the Christians of Palestine, I could not 
but regard with intense interest a spot so sacred. 
Was the sky as bright, and the mount as green, and 
the plain as beautiful, as they appeared now, when 
He, who spake as never man spake, uttered those 
words of Heavenly wisdom, which have ever since 
been the guide, the consolation, and the hope, of 
Christians every where ? 

A ride of three hours more, brought us to a place 
of scarcely less interest than that of the mount of 
Beatitudes. In the hill country, not more than five 
miles from JNTazareth, we came to a small village 
called Keffer Kenna, consisting of a few huts and 
the ruins of an ancient church. This is thought to 
be the Cana of Galilee, where our Lord performed 
his first miracle, " and manifested forth his glory 
The church is said to stand on the site of the house 
where the marriage was celebrated, at which the 
mother of Jesus was present, and Jesus and his dis- 
ciples were invited guests. At the foot of the hill, 
and near to the village, is a spring of pure sweet 
water, which flows down the valley in quite a brook. 
If this is Cana, as there are strong reasons to be- 



* John i. 1-11. 



NAZARETH. 



275 



lieve, then there can be no doubt, that from this 
fountain, the " six water pots of stone" were filled, 
which supplied " the good wine" for that marriage 
feast. Cana of Galilee was also the scene of our 
Lord's second miracle, the cure of the nobleman of 
Capernaum's son ;* and it was the birth place of 
Nathaniel, f that " Israelite indeed, in whom was no 
guile."J 

In six hours after leaving the sea of Galilee, we 
were again at Nazareth, and encamped in the same 
grove of olives, as before, near to the Virgin's Foun- 
tain. It is an extensive grove of magnificent trees; 
several which I measured were from eight to twelve 
feet in circumference, and were probably some cen- 
turies old. It was a privilege indeed, to have a few 
hours more, to range over the hills and fields of Na- 
zareth; and to pass another night among scenes of 
such absorbing interest, as those ever must be, which 
are associated with the first thirty years of our 
Saviour's life. To me it was no small gratification, 
to pass the anniversary of my own birthday, on this 
hallowed spot. 



* John It. 46. f John xxi. 2 J John i. 47. 



CHAPTEE XII. 



NAZARETH TO BE YR OUT. 

March 23. We took our departure from Naza- 
reth at half past six o'clock, by the road that leads 
to Mount Carmel, intending to pass the night there, 
in the Latin Convent. Earth, air, and sky, all con- 
tributed to render it one of the loveliest mornings of 
spring; the most favourable season for travelling in 
Palestine. 

Ascending the lofty hills which bound the 
vale of Nazareth on the west, we had a magnificent 
view of the whole region of Galilee; then, taking 
our last look of the city and plain, which lay at our 
feet, we descended by an easy path to the valley of 
Zabulon, which we crossed in about tw^o hours. We 
then came to a hilly country, covered with ancient 
forest trees, mostly oak, finer than any we had seen 
since leaving the noble parks of England. We had 
a charming ride, for nearly two hours, beneath their 
shade. When we reached the last range of these 
wooded hills, we looked down upon the great plain 



THE KIVER KISHON. 277 

of Megiddo, or the valley of Kishon, bounded by 
Carmel and the sea. Our course was directly across 
this plain; and in one Hour we came to "that ancient 
river, the river Kishon," so memorable in "the song 
of Deborah and Barak,"* for the defeat of Sisera, 
the captain of Jabin 7 s army, with his chariots and 
his multitude ; and not less memorable, for the 
slaughter of Baal's prophets, by Elijah's command, 
after the trial by sacrifice upon Carmel. f The 
stream is but a few yards wide, and easily forded at 
this season of the year. "We rode along its banks 
for a short distance, then crossing it, we kept close 
under the base of the lofty mountain range of Car- 
mel, which here rises abruptly from the plain, its 
rough, rocky sides covered with dwarf oaks and 
bushes. 

Continuing on this wild and romantic path, for 
eight or ten miles, with the mountain towering im- 
mediately above us on the left, and the grand plain 
.of Esdraelon on our right, we came within sight and 
sound of the Mediterranean ; and, in half an hour 
more, entered the little town of Kaiffa, which lies 
close upon the sea. It appears to have been once 
strongly fortified, but its forts and walls are now in 
ruins. There being nothing here to detain us, we 
rode directly through ; and when a mile beyond the 



* Judges iv. 7; v. 21. f 1 Kings xviii. 40. 

24* 



278 



CONVENT ON 



town, we entered a magnificent grove of old olive- 
trees, larger, even, than those at Nazareth; extending 
one mile further to the foot of the mountain. 

A wide and smooth, but very steep path winds 
up to the convent, which is beautifully situated on 
the brow of the bold promontory, probably a thou- 
sand feet above the level of the sea. It is a spacious, 
lofty, and commodious building, erected on the site 
of the old convent, and is said to be the richest con- 
ventual establishment in Palestine. The hospi- 
tality of the Franciscan Friars, here, and the excel- 
lent entertainment they afford to strangers, are pro- 
verbial. We were received with the utmost kindness, 
and lodged in as comfortable a manner as we could 
desire. The rooms are large and airy ; the beds a 
pattern of neatness, but rather hard; the meals, 
though abundant and well ordered, not quite so good 
as we had expected ; but it was Lent, and the rules 
of the convent do not permit them to have meat in 
the house at that season. Nothing could surpass the 
attention of good "Fra Carlo," whom all modern 
travellers that visit Carmel, remember with gratitude. 
TTe found, on our arrival, the English party of two 
ladies and a gentleman, whom we saw at Tiberias, 
already at the convent. In an hour or two more, a 
party of five American friends, and soon after, 
another of three, came up ; all of whom we had 
parted with at Jerusalem. There were now fourteen 



MOUNT CARMEL. 



279 



guests, besides our servants, who were to be accom- 
modated for the night; but there was ample room for 
all. Of these, eleven were Americans; a greater 
number, we were told, than had ever been there 
before, at one time. 

The church is built over a cave, which tradition 
points out as the residence of Elijah the prophet. 
The view, especially from the roof of the convent, 
is certainly very magnificent; but by no means equal 
to that from the castle of St. Elmo, which overlooks 
the bay of Naples. You stand upon a lofty preci- 
pice, projecting far out into the sea, whose waves 
dash against the wall of rock below. You command 
a noble prospect seaward; the deep blue Mediterra- 
nean stretching north and west to the horizon. On 
your right is the beautiful crescent-shaped bay, with 
the city of St. Jean d'Acre at its northern point, 
standing out into the sea, about fifteen miles distant. 
Adjoining the bay, is the plain of Acre ; and far in 
the northeast, the snowy range of Anti Lebanon, 
with that noblest of mountains, the greater Hermon. 
We spent several hours in admiring the views from 
different points of the promontory; but the chief 
charm arose from the consciousness, that this was 
Carmel ; a mountain connected with so many sacred 
associations. "The excellency of Carmel 7 '^ was a 
Scriptural proverb, which indicated its ancient fertil- 



* Iiaiah xxxv. 2. 



280 



MOUNT C A EM EL. 



ity. But it was predicted by the prophet, that "the 
top of Carmel shall wither;"* and Carmel now is but 
a sterile mountain; sharing in that general barren- 
ness with which the whole land has been visited, for 
the sins of its inhabitants. Tradition points out, on 
the southern portion of the range, the place where 
Ahab assembled the people of Israel, ''and the pro- 
phets of Baal, four hundred and fifty, and the pro- 
phets of the groves, four hundred, which did eat at 
Jezebel's table ; w when that signal trial was made by 
Elijah of all these false prophets ; which resulted in 
their destruction, and vindicated the honour and ma- 
jesty of the true God. Near to it is the mountain 
peak, to the top of which, it is said, Elijah went up 
with his servant, when " there arose a little cloud 
out of the sea, like a man's hand/' which foreboded 
the coming rain, after the three years' drought.f 

At an early hour the next morning, we took our 
leave of the kind hearted Era Carlo and his brethren, 
and descending by the same path that we went up, 
retraced our road as far as Kaiffa. We then followed 
the shore of the bay, riding close to the water's edge ; 
the surf oftentimes flowing around our horses' feet. 
It was a smooth, hard, sandy beach, over which we 
galloped for several miles. The shore was strewed 
with wrecks, some of them quite recent, and others 



* Amos i. 2. 



t 1 Kings xvii. 1 ; xviii. 19, &c. 



ST. JEAN D'ACRE. 



281 



decayed, and nearly buried in the sand. We 
gathered some fine sponges, which had been cast up 
by the waves. In about one hour from Kaiffa, we 
crossed the mouth of the Kishon, not more than 
thirty yards wide, and two feet deep ; in two hours 
more, we crossed the Belus, of about the same width 
and depth as the Kishon, at the point where it enters 
the sea. In half an hour more, we entered the cele- 
brated city of St. Jean d'Acre, the ancient Ptole- 
mais. Few places occupy a more conspicuous place 
in ancient and modern history than this. It is 
named, in the Old Testament, Accho;* and was one 
of those strong Phoenician cities, whose inhabitants 
the Israelites could not drive out. In the time of 
Alexander the Great, it was called Aco ; and was 
afterwards styled Ptolemais, in honour of Ptolemy 
Soter, king of Egypt, who ruled over this part of 
Syria. This is the name by which it is mentioned 
in the New Testament,f in the account of St. Paul's 
travels, who landed here, on his way to Jerusalem. 
It has been considered the key to Palestine, and is 
celebrated in the history of the Crusades, for the 
several sieges which it sustained, and especially for 
its siege and capture by Eichard Coeur de Lion ; 
after which it became the property of the Knights 
of St. John. It has since been made memorable in 

i 

* Judges i. 31. f Acts xxi. 7. 

1 



282 



ORAXGE GROVE. 



the wars of Napoleon. It has never recovered, and 
probably never will recover, under its present ad- 
ministration, from the bombardment which it sus- 
tained in 1840, when its walls and fortifications 
were almost entirely destroyed. The strong city 
has literally become u a ruinous heap;" and its 
broken battlements, and fallen houses, attest the 
horrors of war. 

TTe rode through the principal bazaar, and around 
the ruins of the old fortifications ; passed the two 
mosques, from which the muezzins were calling 
"the faithful" to prayers; and then continued our 
ride northward, pursuing a path which took us 
further inland. 

In half an hour, we passed the remains of an 
ancient aqueduct, probably Eoman, built to conduct 
water from the mountains to the city ; a distance of 
several miles. Almonds, figs, and oranges, are 
cultivated in this part of Syria, to a very great 
extent. We passed numerous orchards of these 
trees to-day. The fig-tree is just putting forth its 
leaves ; the almond-tree is in full blossom ; the 
orange-trees are laden with ripe fruit, while the new 
flowers, on the same tree, perfume the air with their 
fragrance. I know of few more beautiful sights, in 
the vegetable world, than a large orange grove, with 
its glossy green leaves, its golden fruit, and its pure 
white blossoms. We rode into one of them, where 



PROMONTOKIUM ALBUM. 



283 



the trees were of an extraordinary size, and the 
branches were bending beneath their luscious load. 
The proprietor informed us that there were five 
thousand trees in that enclosure. We bought 
twenty of the largest and finest oranges I have ever 
seen, plucked fresh from the tree, for one piastre, 
about five cents of our money. 

At four o'clock, eight hours after leaving Carmel, 
we reached a spot near to the village of Bussah 3 
which lies further inland, and pitched our tent by a 
spring, near to an almond grove, and within five 
minutes' walk of the sea, whose waves came rolling 
in with a soothing sound, upon the sandy shore. 
A new khan has just been erected at this place ; but 
our accommodations in the tent are far better than 
any Arab building can offer. 

March 25. We left our place of encampment a 
little after six o'clock, our path running near the 
sea ; sometimes along the beach, at other times over 
rugged promontories, rising abruptly from the water, 
in almost perpendicular precipices. In three hours, 
we came to the most remarkable of these mountain 
passes, the Promontorium Album, a loft}^ cliff of 
white limestone, jutting far out into the sea, whose 
waves dash and foam, within the deep caverns at its 
base. The road runs on the very edge of the preci- 
pice, some six or eight hundred feet above the sea. 



284 



LADDER OF TYRE. 



A low stone parapet, over which a horse might 
easily leap, is the only protection from the yawn- 
ing gulf on one side ; and a wall of rock, which 
has been cut away to form the pass, rises high on 
the other. It is a fearful and dizzy height to look 
down from, especially on horseback. This pass is 
said to have been made by Alexander the Great, 
and is known as the " ladder of Tyre ;" a most ap- 
propriate name ; for the path which is mostly cut 
in steps, in the solid rock, is, in many places, so 
steep, that we could with difficulty keep our saddles. 

On the very summit, there is a ruinous square 
tower, used as a khan, which commands a view quite 
equal to that from the convent on Carmel, and not 
unlike it. On the east and north, you see the plain 
and mountains of Phoenicia, and the snowy peaks 
of Lebanon ; on the south, the city, bay, and plain 
of Acre, and the whole range of Carmel ; and west- 
ward, far as the eye can reach, spreads out the broad 
Mediterranean. We found the descent of this pass 
on the north, much more steep and difficult than its 
ascent on the south. It was literally going down a 
flight of rough stone stairs, carved out of the mount- 
ain side. On reaching the bottom of the pass, we 
found ourselves on the great Phoenician plain, ex- 
tending northward to Beyrout, and the mountains of 
Lebanon. Our path was through "the coasts of 
Tyre and Sidon," where our Saviour healed the 



TYRE. 



285 



daughter of "a woman of Canaan," "a Greek, a 
Syrophenician by nation."* 

When within half an hour of Tyre, we turned 
aside to see the remains of an ancient aqueduct, and 
three large pools of solid masonry, which are sup- 
posed, by some, to have been constructed by Hiram, 
king of Tyre, to supply the city. They are full of 
water, which continually overflows, and forms a clear 
rapid brook, that enters the sea not far distant. A 
ride of two more miles, along the sandy beach, 
where the waves rolled up around our horses' hoofs, 
brought us to Tsur, an Arab town, now occupying 
a portion of the promontory, once an island, on 
which Tyre was built. The causeway constructed 
by Alexander from the main to the island, when he 
besieged new Tyre, is covered with drifting sand, 
which has also buried up the ruins of the first 
city, that stood upon the shore. 

We rode around the promontory, to get a 
view of the remains of the ancient harbour, once 
a "haven of ships," which commanded the com- 
merce of the world. Broken columns of marble 
and granite lie half buried in the ground, and along 
the coast, where the waves break continually over 
them. Many of these columns can be seen at a little 
distance from the shore, beneath the clear blue 
waters ; and there they have probably lain for ages. 

* Matt. xv. 21-28. Mark vii. 24-31. 

25 



286 



TTPvE. 



At the southeast corner of the town, are extensive 
ruins of an ancient church, supposed to be that 
which was built by Paulinus, Bishop of Tyre, in the 
beginning of the fourth century. Eusebius, who 
was present at its consecration, describes it as " far 
the most noble in Phoenicia." A splendid column 
of highly polished red granite, similar to the obelisks 
of Luxor and Karnak, which lies amongst the ruins, 
was probably one of the principal ornaments of this 
once magnificent cathedral; which Eusebius tells us 
had " four inclined porticoes, with pillars rising on 
every side."* That portion of the column which 
was visible to us, was about twenty-four feet in 
length, and twelve in circumference. The eastern 
wall is standing, and we passed under one of the 
arched doorways of the church, as we entered the 
town from the southeast. Tsur has probably some 
three thousand inhabitants, who are better looking, 
and apparently more thrifty, than the generality of 
those we met with in Arab towns. The bazaars 
looked well, and made a considerable display of 
merchandise. Three or four vessels, one of them a 
large French brig, were riding at anchor in the 
harbour, and a number of small boats were drawn 
up on the beach. What a contrast does it present 
to the time, when " Hiram, king of Tyre," made a 



* Eccles. Hist. B. x. pp. 416-418, Am. edit. 



TYRE. 



287 



league with Solomon, and furnished him with "cedar 
and fir-trees, 7 ' from the mountains of Lebanon, for 
building the temple at Jerusalem !* Some fishing- 
nets were spread out to dry in the sun. The pro- 
phecies respecting ancient Tyre, "the crowning city, 
whose merchants were princes, whose traffickers 
were the honourable of the earth,"f have been 
wonderfully accomplished. Those remarkable pre- 
dictions by the prophet Ezekiel, recorded in the 
twenty-sixth and two following chapters, have 
become history. The walls of Tyre are "broken 
down ;" her " pleasant houses are destroyed ;" her 
" stones and her timber, and her dust are laid in the 
midst of the water ;" " the noise of her songs" has 
ceased; " and the sound of her harps" is "no more 
heard." Tyre has been made "like the top of a 
rock, a place to spread nets upon." This was " the 
burden of Tyre;"J and fearfully has it been laid upon 
her, by the divine judgments, on account of her 
wickedness.§ 

Two hours north of Tyre, we came to Nahr-el- 
Kesimiyeh, the ancient Leontes ; a rapid river, about 
sixty yards wide, across which was a substantial 
stone bridge of a single span. We crossed this 
bridge, and following the stream up a few rods, 
encamped in a very favourable spot on its banks, 



* 1 Kings v. 
t Is. xxiii. 1. 



f Is. xxiii. 8. 

§ Joel iii. 4-8. Amos i. 9. 



288 ENCAMPMENT AT 

which are lined with oleanders, not yet in blossom. 
The plain here is perfectly level, and about two 
miles in width, from the sea to the mountains, The 
next day, being Sunday, we as usual remained at 
our place of encampment. 

About two o'clock in the afternoon, Hassan- 
em came to our tent, to say that a large number 
of mounted and armed Bedouins were approach- 
ing, from the opposite side of the river. They 
proved to be the chief Sheik, or Prince, of the 
mountain region, with some thirty or forty attend- 
ants, all elegantly dressed and mounted, and pre- 
senting a noble appearance, as they rode along by 
the foot of the mountain, single file; their bright 
guns and spears glittering in the sun. They crossed 
the bridge, and dismounted on the plain, not more 
than a hundred yards from our encampment. Very 
soon after, we were visited by some half dozen of 
the Sheik's officers, inviting us to come and take 
coffee and pipes with him ; an invitation which we 
could not with propriety decline ; nor would it, pro- 
bably, have been prudent to do so. Escorted by the 
messengers, and with Hassanein for our interpreter, 
we made a pleasant visit to this Arab Prince, whose 
jurisdiction, we were told, extends over several hun- 
dred towns and villages. He received us cour- 
teously, asked many questions about our country 
and our travels, and seemed quite gratified with our 



THE RIVER LEONTES. 



289 



answers. His attendants, two of whom appeared to 
be his sons, were a fine looking body of men. One 
old man, a Persian, excited our admiration by his 
tall and erect figure, intelligent countenance, and 
gentlemanly bearing. We were also particularly 
struck with the appearance of another of the attend- 
ants, a Nubian, black as ebony, but with no marks 
of the negro. He was the finest specimen of a black 
man, that we had ever seen ; and a great favourite, 
as we afterwards saw, with his master. 

When we had finished our coffee, and were pre- 
paring to take leave, the Sheik called upon his men, 
who were seated on the ground around him, to show 
us something of their skill in horsemanship. Some 
eight or ten of them immediately jumped up as vol- 
unteers ; among them, those whom we took to be his 
sons, and the Nubian. Mounting their horses, they 
rode out upon the plain, and exhibited extraordinary 
feats of agility, strength, and dexterity. Their 
horses, fleet as the wind, were under perfect control. 
They would charge towards each other so furiously, 
that it seemed as if they must be dashed together ; 
then, turning suddenly, one party fled, while the 
other pursued ; frequently throwing their spears far 
ahead, and catching them from the ground, as they 
passed. The most skilful of these riders was the 
Nubian, who would balance his long gun on his tur- 
ban, with the breech projecting in front, so as readily 

25* 



290 



AKAB HOKSEMANSHIP. 



to grasp it with his hand, and, while his horse was 
at his utmost speed, he would seize the gun, turn 
half round in his saddle, fire at his pursuer, who in 
his turn fled. The Nubian, then wheeling his horse, 
would pursue the fugitive, re-load his gun, balance it 
on his head, and, when near enough, discharge it as 
before. This continued for half an hour; when 
they all came in to receive the approbation of their 
master, and our thanks for their kindness. 

"We stayed no longer than courtesy required ; and 
then asked Hassanein to excuse us in the best way he 
could, for our seemingly abrupt departure. When 
we got to our tent, I asked Hassanein what apology 
he made for our leaving. He said he told the Sheik 
that " the gentlemen wished now to go and say their 
prayers." This is always a good excuse with a true 
Mussulman. When may we ever hope to hear, from 
a Christian, without fear of ridicule, such an apology 
for withdrawing, at suitable times, from worldly oc- 
cupations or amusements? 

Our kind Sheik took quite a fancy to my 
spectacles ; but, as they were near-sighted glasses, 
they did not help his vision, and he asked if 
I had not a spy glass. I evaded his inquiry, 
in the best way I could, lest he should ask 
me to give him a very excellent one, which I hap- 
pened to have in my tent. It was one which I 
valued too highly, and had found too useful in my 



SAREPTA, OR ZAREPHATH. 291 

travels, to exchange it, even for an Arab horse, or 
gun. He and his party soon after left us, and pro- 
ceeded eastward among the mountains. Just at 
night, the English gentleman and ladies, whom we 
had met several times before, and whom we last saw 
at Carmel, arrived, and pitched their tents near to 
ours. Such meetings of travellers are particularly- 
pleasant in the East. 

March 27. We were off at an early hour, and after 
a ride of three hours over the plain, near the sea, 
we turned aside, one mile, to the hills on our right, to 
visit Sarafend, the Sarepta of the New Testament, 
the Zarephath of the Old. In this city, Elijah the 
prophet dwelt, a whole year, by God's appointment, 
with a poor widow and her son ; all of whom were 
miraculously fed, during the famine, by the barrel 
of meal, which wasted not, and the cruse of oil, which 
failed not, "according to the word of the Lord, 
which he spake by Elijah."* Here, too, he restored 
that widow's son to life. These miracles derive 
additional interest, from the use which our Lord 
makes of them, when teaching his own townsmen, in 
the Synagogue of Nazareth. " I tell you of a truth, 
many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, 
when the heaven was shut up three years and six 
months, when great famine was throughout all the 



* 1 Kings xvii. 9-16, 22. 



292 



SIDON. 



land ; but unto none of them was Elias sent, save 
unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that 
was a widow."* The town stands high up on the 
side of a very steep hill, overlooking the Phoenician 
plain, and the Mediterranean Sea ; about twelve or 
fifteen miles north of Tyre, and six or seven miles 
south of Sidon; hence it was called u a city of 
Sidon." A Turkish mosque now occupies the 
place of the Christian church, which was erected 
over the supposed site of the widow's house, where 
Elijah dwelt. And so it is in almost every part of 
the Holy Land ; the crescent has supplanted the 
cross. Not Jerusalem only, but all Judea, " is trod- 
den down of the Gentiles." And so it shall be, "until 
the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. "f 

In two and a half hours from Sarepta, we reached 
Saida, the ancient Sidon, whose history is so inti- 
mately associated with that of Tyre. Like the lat- 
ter town, it stands upon a peninsula; but it is much 
larger, and better built, than Tyre, and there are 
more remains of the harbour of the old city. On 
entering the gate, we found ourselves immediately 
among the bazaars, which are more extensive, and 
better filled with various articles of merchandise, 
than any we had seen since leaving Cairo. The 
Franks have here a large khan, surrounding a court, 



* Luke iv. 25, 26. 



f Luke xxi. 24. 



SIDON. 



293 



with a fine fountain in the centre. Many of the 
houses are substantial, and good looking ; and there 
was more apparent prosperity, than in any other town 
which we have visited in Palestine. Much of its 
wealth consists in its extensive fruit gardens, of 
oranges, almonds, and figs. We bought very large, 
delicious oranges, fresh from the trees, for about 
three or four cents a dozen. There are also large 
mulberry groves in the vicinity, which feed great 
numbers of silk worms ; so that raw silk is one of 
the staple articles of commerce. For several miles 
before reaching Sidon, we passed numerous frag- 
ments of columns, broken capitals, and remains of 
Mosaic pavements, indicating the sites of some of 
the old cities, which once spread over this plain. In 
the modern buildings of Saida, may be seen frag- 
ments of elaborately wrought marble, which pro- 
bably belonged to some of the costly structures of 
ancient Sidon. 

Sidon was the oldest and most powerful city of 
Phoenicia ; and is supposed to have been founded 
more than two thousand years before Christ, by 
Sidon, the eldest son of Canaan.* In the time of 
Joshua, B. C. 1450, it was called " Great Zidon ;"f 
and was then pre-eminent in art, manufactures and 
commerce. Her prosperity led to an over-indulg- 



* Gen. x. 15-19. 



t Josh. xi. 8. 



294 



SIDOX. 



ence in ease and luxury; so that, to live "quiet and 
secure,'' became a Scripture proverb for living care- 
lessly, after the manner of the Sidonians.* But she 
was subsequently " eclipsed by Tyre, at first her 
colony, and afterward her rival." In the days of 
Solomon, B. C« 1014, Sidon was dependent on Tyre. 
And when the king of Israel contracted with Hiram, 
king of Tyre, for hewing cedars in Lebanon, for the 
temple, he says, " I will give hire for thy servants, 
according to all that thou shalt appoint ; for thou 
knowest that there is not among us any that can 
skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians. ' ? f But 
the divine prediction went forth against her, as 
against her sister Tyre; "Son of man, set thy face 
against Zidon, and prophecy against it, and say, 
Thus saith the Lord God, I am against thee, Zidon ; 
and I will be glorified in the midst of thee.";}; No- 
thing now remains of the former glory of either of 
these magnificent and powerful cities. But while 
we contemplate their utter overthrow, how are 
our higher privileges, and greater responsibilities, 
brought home to our hearts, by those words of 
warning, from the lips of our divine Bedeemer, to 
all who live like them in ease and luxury, and think 
themselves secure ! " If the mighty works which 
were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, 



* Judges xviii. 7. f 1 Kings v. 6. J Ezek. xxviii. 21, 22. 



NEB Y YUNAS. 



295 



they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and 
ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolera- 
ble for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than 
for you."* 

In half an hour after leaving Sidon, we came to 
Nahr el Auly, the ancient Bostremus, a wide, rapid 
river, which rises in the mountains of Lebanon, and 
is now much swollen by the melting snows. This 
is the northern boundary of the great Phoenician 
plain. The neighbourhood abounds in orchards of 
mulberries and figs, oranges and almonds, which 
grow here most luxuriantly. We ascended the 
river a considerable distance, until we came to a 
large khan, and a noble stone bridge of a single 
arch, now broken, the work it is said of the cele- 
brated Fakredine, Emir of mount Lebanon, and 
built about two hundred years ago. We forded the 
river near the bridge, and then rode through a rough, 
rocky country, and along the sandy coast, until we 
came, at three o'clock, to the khan, " Neby Yunas." 
Here we pitched our tent, on a little shady knoll, 
within a hundred yards of the surf, which rolls up 
as majestically as on any beach on our own Atlantic 
coast. We saw a fisherman standing in the water 
casting his net, the common mode of fishing along 
this coast. 



* Matt. xi. 21, 22. 



296 



BEYROUT. 



Near by is the Wely ISTeby Yunas, or tomb of the 
prophet Jonas, so called, from a Mohammedan tradi- 
tion, that this is the place where Jonah was thrown 
ashore by the whale. "We have had no more de- 
lightful spot to encamp in, than this ; and it was the 
last night in which we expected to sleep beneath a 
tent. The English party was again encamped near 

to "US. 

March 28. We were up at four o'clock, had break- 
fasted, and were in our saddles, ready for a start, 
nearly an hour before sunrise ; so anxious were we 
to reach Beyrout, and get our letters from home. 
The first part of the way, we had the sea close at 
hand, on our left ; and, for the whole distance on our 
right, were the glorious mountain ranges of Leba- 
non, and Anti Lebanon, towering to the skies ; their 
snow-capped summits shining like silver in the 
bright morning sun. After a somewhat fatiguing 
ride of four hours, over rugged ridges, and through 
deep sand, and across several mountain streams, 
swollen by the melting snows, we came to a fertile 
plain, abounding in gardens and orchards of fruit 
and mulberry-trees, protected by hedges of prickly 
pears. We threaded our way among these enclo- 
sures, for three or four miles, which brought us, at 
ten o'clock, to Beyrout. 

Having taken rooms and deposited our luggage at 



BEYRCUT. 



297 



Demetri's Hotel, a very well-kept house, we hastened 
to our Banker's, where we found letters for us, but 
none of a more recent date than January 29th, two 
months before. They were the first we had received 
since leaving Cairo; and although a little disap- 
pointed at finding none of a later date, we felt thank- 
ful to hear that our friends were well when these 
were written. 

They, in their turn, will experience a like disap- 
pointment; for we find that a package of letters 
which we had forwarded here from Jerusalem, two 
weeks ago, for America, were still in the consul's 
hands, waiting for a steamer. Such is the uncertainty 
of the mails in this part of the world. 



26 



CHAPTER XIII. 



BEYKOUT TO SMYRNA. 



Our journey from Cairo to Beyrout, including ten 
days at Jerusalem and the neighbourhood, had been 
accomplished in forty days, without any untoward 
accident, or anything to mar its pleasure. AYe had 
slept thirty-one nights in our tent, and had found 
it so comfortable and pleasant, that we now r reluct- 
antly gave it up for even a first class hotel. Every- 
thing, it is true, had conspired to make our journey 
agreeable. "We had been blessed with perfect 
health ; and, with the exception of two or three days, 
had been favoured with the finest weather for travel- 
ling. It w 7 as most providential that we were delayed 
in our journey to Upper Egypt; for had we accom- 
plished that, and begun our tour in Palestine one 
month earlier, as we at first intended, we should 
have been in the midst of the rainy season ; and our 
whole tour would probably have been uncomforta- 
ble. It had been our intention to visit Damascus 
and Baalbec, from this place ; but several reasons 



MOUNTAINS OF LEBANON. 299 



induced us to give up this journey. The chief 
reason for foregoing such a pleasure, was want of 
time ; as it would occasion a delay of sixteen days, 
which we could not well spare. We were told, too, 
that we should find the journey unusually difficult, 
on account of the deep snows in the mountain passes ; 
more snow having fallen on Lebanon this year, than 
for several years before. Our friend, Mr. Goodhue, 
however, being less pressed for time, resolved to 
undertake it with Hassanein for his guide; and 
here, therefore, we parted company with them. Our 
journeys together have left, I trust, a pleasurable 
impression on all our minds, which will not soon 
be forgotten; certain'I am, that, on my own mind, 
it is as enduring as life itself. 

Beyrout, the probable Berothai of Scripture,* the 
ancient Berytus, is charmingly situated on high 
ground, overlooking the bay, and "that goodly 
mountain," Lebanon, which Moses so earnestly de- 
sired to see.f The highest peak, called Jebel San- 
nin, rises to the height of ten thousand feet; its 
summit always white with snow. We had seen no 
such mountains as this whole range, for grandeur 
and sublimity, since leaving Switzerland. No won- 
der that " the glory of Lebanon" was so frequently 



* 2 Sam. viii. 8. Ezek. xlvii. 16. 



t Deut. iii. 25. 



300 



BEY ROUT. 



the prophet's theme ; and that from this they drew 
some of their sublimest imagery.* 

There are extensive remains of the foundations of 
the old Eoman city, near the shore, and some are 
to be seen beneath the clear blue sea. The present 
city is well built, and has extensive bazaars, but the 
streets are narrow and dirty. The population is 
estimated at about fifteen thousand ; and although 
the harbour is not good, yet it is considered quite 
equal to an}? in Syria, and has a larger commerce 
than any other. On the opposite side of the bay, 
about eight miles from Beyrout, tradition points out 
the spot where St. George attacked and slew the 
dragon. 

March 29. "We were glad to learn, on rising this 
morning, that the French steamer for Smyrna had 
arrived during the night, and would sail the next 
day. Having secured our passages, we spent the 
day in looking through the town, and around its 
delightful suburbs ; and passed a pleasant evening 
with our consul and his family. He was most kind 
and attentive to us during our short stay, as he ever 
is to all his countrymen. 

March 30. TVe went on board the Oronte at 



* Isaiah xxxv. 2; lx. 13. Jer. xxii. 6. Hos. xiv. 5, 6. 



SYRIAN COAST. 



301 



seven o'olock in the morning; Mr. Goodhue and 
Hassanein accompanying us, to see us off. We 
parted from both of them very reluctantly ; yet we 
had the hope of seeing our fellow countryman, ere 
long, in our native land, and of renewing together 
the many pleasant recollections of our travels. But 
as we. took leave of Hassanein, our faithful Arab 
dragoman, we felt that we should never meet again 
on this side the grave; and it was with a deeper 
sorrow, on that account, that we bade him farewell. 
His brother Hassan, and Solyman the cook, had 
also endeared themselves to us by their kind atten- 
tion to our comfort. They had been with us three 
months, up the Nile, through the desert, and in 
Syria ; and had performed their respective duties to 
our entire satisfaction. 

At eight o'clock we weighed anchor, and steamed 
along the coast of Syria, under a bright sky, and 
over a calm sea, with the magnificent ranges of 
Lebanon dipping their feet in the waves, and raising 
their heads among the clouds. After so many weeks 
travelling on land, we thought that nothing, in the 
way of sailing, could be more delightful than this. 
Three young English army officers, who had been 
making the tour of Palestine, where they received 
orders to join their regiments, were our fellow-pas- 
sengers from Beyrout. One of them, Mr. Fletcher, 
whom we met at Jerusalem, and who went with us 

26* 



302 



TRIPOLI IN SYRIA. 



to the Jordan, was on his way to London. The other 
two, Tower and Booverie, expected to find their 
regiment at Gallipoli ; where the allied armies were 
then concentrating their military and naval forces, 
for the mighty conflict which was to ensue. 

At noon we anchored in the harbour of Tripoli, 
now called Tarabolus, and remained there through 
the rest of the day, to receive and discharge freight. 
This gave us a good opportunity to see the town ; 
and a nice-looking thrifty town it is; pleasantly situ- 
ated at the foot of the mountains, about a mile from 
the bay, surrounded by luxuriant fruit gardens, of 
orange, lemon, and pomegranate-trees. A small 
village, where goods are landed, stands at the point 
of the bay, on the site of the ancient town, which 
was taken and destroyed by the Sultan of Egypt, at 
the close of the thirteenth century, and was after- 
wards rebuilt, at a distance from the shore, as we see 
it now. On landing from our ship's boat, we stepped 
out upon some broken columns, apparently relics of 
the old city. TTe walked up to the town, and spent 
several hours in strolling about its streets and ba- 
zaars, admiring the beautiful articles exhibited for 
sale, especially those of silk and embroidery, all of 
which were manufactured here. In many of the 
shops, which, like those in Cairo, are open in front, 
and less than ten feet square, resembling large bow 
windows, you see men and women at work, mak- 



TRIPOLI IN SYRIA. 



803 



ing silk purses, bags, belts, etc., and embroidering 
scarfs, shawls, and other articles of dress, with gold 
and silver cord. They appeared pleased to have us 
stop and look at their work ; and would frequently 
put some unfinished article into our hands, that we 
might examine it more closely. 

We have seen no such cheerful, bright-looking 
town, in Syria, as this. We entered a large khan, 
built in the form of a hollow square, with a stone 
fountain and reservoir in the centre; here they were 
selling, at auction, the effects of the lately deceased 
Greek consul. The streets, like all Eastern cities, are 
narrow; not more than five or six feet wide; but 
they are clean and well paved, and occasionally open 
into a spacious square. The houses are lofty and well 
built of stone; and what with the narrow streets, and 
the mat awnings, and the flowing fountains, the city 
was deliciously cool, while the heat, in the open coun- 
try around, was oppressive. A Turk, gayly dressed, 
bearing on his back a water skin, with a brazen 
spout, and two highly polished brass cups in his hand, 
was crying " Sherbet, in the name of the Prophet," 
through the bazaars, and found not a few customers. 

The women of Tripoli, Christian as well as Moham- 
medan, all go closely veiled. Their dress and veils 
are usually of white muslin; but being full and 
flowing, and reaching quite to the ground, they are 
troublesome to walk in, and render the wearers 



304 



LATAKIA. 



exceedingly awkward in their movements. "We re- 
turned to our ship late in the afternoon, and at eight 
o'clock were again on our voyage. 

March 31. "When we came on deck in the morn- 
ing, we found our steamer at anchor in the harbour of 
Latakia, the ancient Laodicea, where we had arrived 
a few hours before. It is customary for the boats, 
on this line, to run during the night, from port to 
port, and to remain during the day, to receive and 
discharge freight or passengers. And since the 
repeal of the quarantine laws, the traveller is thus 
enabled to land frequently, and visit the places of 
interest on the route. The country around Latakia 
is quite picturesque, and very fertile ; abounding in 
fruit gardens, and orchards, and producing, it is 
said, the finest tobacco in the world. The fig-trees 
and pomegranates are now shooting forth their first 
leaves, the almond-trees are in full blossom, and the 
orange and lemon-trees are laden with ripe fruit, 
and flowers. The town lies on an eminence some 
distance back from the port, is well built, and, next 
to Bey rout, is the most important commercial place 
on the coast. It being Friday, the Mohammedan 
Sabbath, most of the bazaars were closed. From 
the high hills in the rear, we had a fine view of the 
town, with its nine mosques, the beautiful country 
around, and the harbour and sea beyond. 



ALEXANDRETTA. 



305 



"We started again at six in the evening, and the 
next morning, at six o'clock, were in the spacious 
harbour of Scanderoon, or Alexandretta ; a small 
place, with but few good houses, one or two ware- 
houses, and only about five hundred inhabitants ; 
occupying the site of the once populous city of 
ancient Alexandria. It is, however, at present a 
place of great importance, on account of its excel- 
lent anchorage, the best in Syria. Being the port 
of Aleppo, which is only two or three days distant, 
inland, it enjoys a very considerable traffic. It is 
also the port of Antioch; that memorable city, where 
Paul and Barnabas preached the Gospel, a " whole 
year and where " the disciples were first called 
Christians."* Antioch is on the river Orontes, 
twenty miles from its mouth, and some eight or ten 
hours from the port of Alexandretta. 

The gulf, or bay of Alexandretta, is sheltered by 
lofty and rugged mountains, now white with snow, 
rising abruptly from the shore, and looking wild and 
desolate ; a fit haunt for the numerous robbers who 
infest this region. Fifteen or twenty sail of vessels 
were riding at anchor in the bay ; and among them the 
French frigate Serieuse. We landed a large amount 
of freight, and took on board many tons of butter, 
packed in skins, such as the Arabs use for carrying 



* Acts xi. 26. 



306 BAY OF ALEXANDRETTA. 

water. While lying here, we saw a caravan of 
camels start off for the interior, loaded with mer- 
chandise, and guarded by a numerous body of 
Arabs, armed with long spears and guns ; this being 
considered at the present time, one of the most 
dangerous routes to travel, in all the East. An 
immense wild boar, which had just been killed in 
the mountains, was brought on board, and portions 
of it were served up at our table for several days. 
The head of this huge animal measured two feet 
three inches in length, from the skull to the end of 
the nose ; and its tusks were frightful. The wild 
boar of Erymanthus could hardly have been more 
ferocious and formidable than this. 

To-day we had quite an accession to the number 
of our passengers, in the Bey of Bagdad, his Hareem, 
and attendants. Other Turks and Arabs have also 
come from Aleppo, and are on their way to Smyrna 
and Constantinople. They occupy a large portion 
of the deck ; the women having a place specially 
appropriated for them. We are now within sixty 
miles of Tarsous, supposed to be the Tarshish of 
Scripture, to which Jonah attempted to flee.* On 
the shore of the bay, about half a mile south of 
us, are two columns, a part of the ruins of an 
ancient Christian church, said to mark the place 



* Jonah i. 3. 



MERSINA. 



307 



where the fish threw Jonah " upon the dry land." 
Whether the Christian tradition, which fixes it here, 
or the Mohammedan tradition, which places it at the 
Waly Neby Yunas, be the correct one, I leave it for 
those to settle, who attach more importance than I 
do to this matter. "We left Alexandretta at six 
o'clock P. M. 

April 2. At seven o'clock in the morning, we 
were anchored in the harbour of Mersina, the port 
of Tarsous, in Cilicia; the Tarsus of Scripture, that 
u no mean city," where St. Paul was born.* It was 
once the metropolis of Cilicia, the residence of a 
king, and the rival, in refinement and learning, of 
Athens and Alexandria ; but is now a small decayed 
town, on the river Cydnus, twelve miles from the sea. 
We were now on the route of St. Paul's travels to 
and from Eome; and it was gratifying to know, 
that we were within so short a distance of the great 
apostle's birthplace. We remained in the harbour 
about four hours, which was not a sufficient time to 
allow us, either to visit Tarsous, or to go to some 
extensive ruins a few miles up the bay ; supposed to 
be those of an ancient city. Numerous columns of 
these curious ruins, still standing, were distinctly to 
be seen, as we passed out the harbour. 



* Acts xxi. 29. 



308 



PASHA OF ADANA. 



Another large increase to the number of our Ori- 
ental passengers was made here, by receiving on 
board the Pasha of Adana, his sons, their wives, and 
numerous retinue. Their hareems numbered thirty 
women, white and black, but so closely veiled, that it 
was impossible to tell which, excepting where the 
hand was accidentally displayed. All of these were ' 
to be accommodated on deck, excepting the Pasha, 
who had a berth in the cabin. With these four or 
five hareems, officers and servants, and the untold 
amount of baggage which they brought with them, 
our boat was so completely lumbered up, fore and 
aft, that there was but small space for walking. 
That, however, is what the Turk never cares for, so 
that he has room to spread his mat, take his coffee, 
and smoke his narghelia. 

The Bey and Pasha were on their way to Con- 
stantinople ; the latter, as we understood, to obtain 
from the Sultan the Pashalic of Aleppo, which was 
recently vacated by death. We might therefore 
expect to have them for our companions, for a 
number of days to come. "We found them, indeed, 
very agreeable ; and it added not a little to the 
interest of our voyage, to have persons of such 
distinction on board, with their families, and the 
officers of their household. It gave us a good 
opportunity to observe, more closely, Eastern habits 
and customs. 



GULF OF ATTALIA. 



309 



The father of the Pasha's favourite wife was with 
them ; a fine looking, but feeble old man ; and it 
was delightful to see the devotion of the daughter 
to the aged parent. She was continually consulting 
his comfort. He ate with her, and with the other 
women of the family; probably out of respect to 
his age and relationship ; for in every other instance 
the men and the women took their meals separately. 

On leaving Mersina, at half past eleven o'clock, 
we continued on until night, along the bold moun- 
tain coast of Cilicia ; the scenery of which is perfectly 
magnificent ; the mountains coming close down to 
the sea, and rising in rugged peaks ; their sides and 
summits, at this season, covered with snow, and 
forming a beautiful contrast to the deep blue of the 
Mediterranean. Just at sunset we had a sight, on 
our left, of the large island of Cyprus, where Barna- 
bas, the companion and fellow-labourer of St. Paul, 
was born ; and where he had possessions of land, 
which he sold, "and brought the money, and laid it 
at the apostles' feet," that a distribution of it might 
be made among his more necessitous brethren.* 

Tn crossing the gulf of Attalia, or, as it is more 
commonly called, Satalia, and known in Scripture 
as the Sea of Pamphylia, the wind was high and the 
sea rough ; but having passed that, it became smooth 



* Acts iv. 36, 37. 

27 



310 



RHODES. 



again, and we had much of the same bold mountain 
scenery, as on the day preceding. "We passed, 
during the night, Myra and Patara, two cities of 
Lycia, mentioned by St. Luke as places at which St. 
Paul stopped in his travels. The first of these was 
where the apostle, when being carried a prisoner to 
Eome, was put on board the ship of Alexandria,* in 
which he was wrecked. The other is a city at which 
he stopped on his way from Greece to Jerusalem, 
and where he again took a ship to Phoenicia, f land- 
ing at Tyre and Cassarea. 

April 4. At four o'clock in the morning, we came 
to anchor in the spacious and beautiful harbour of 
Ehodes, a strongly fortified city, situated at the 
northern point of the island of the same name. 
This island, the largest and most fruitful of the 
Sporades, is supposed to have a population of 
twenty-eight thousand, of whom about twenty 
thousand are Greeks, and seven thousand Turks. 
The city looks well from the sea ; nor does its in- 
ternal appearance disappoint one's expectations. 
For two centuries it was the strong-hold of the 
Knights of St. John ; who, when driven from Pales- 
tine, captured this city from the Saracens, A. D. 
1309, and were afterwards known as the Knights of 

* Acts xxvii. 5, 6. f Acts xxi. 1, 2. 



RHODES. 



311 



Khodes. They retained it till 1525, when it was 
taken by the Turks, after an obstinate resistance, 
and a fearful slaughter. Those of the Knights who 
survived, removed to Malta. It has ever since been 
in possession of the Turks. 

There are two harbours ; the outer one, which is 
much the larger, was built by the Knights; it is 
flanked by a fine old tower. In the inner, and 
more ancient harbour, to which ships were some- 
times taken for greater security, are pointed out 
the ruins of the foundations on which, it is said, 
the celebrated colossus stood, which was one of the 
seven wonders of the world. This brazen image, 
according to the ancient historians, was built B. 0. 
300. It was more than one hundred feet high, and 
bestrode the entrance of the harbour, so that ships 
passed beneath it. Only fifty-six years after its erec- 
tion, it was broken and overthrown by an earthquake, 
and remained in that state for nearly nine centuries ; 
when it was sold by the Saracens to a Jewish mer- 
chant, who loaded nine hundred camels with the brass. 

We had a good opportunity for seeing this in- 
teresting old city, as our boat remained here nearly 
the whole day. Its fortifications are even now so 
strong, that the Turks deem them impregnable. The 
streets are clean and well paved. That which is 
known as the street of the Knights, remains the 
same as when they were driven from it; and is 



312 ^:gean sea. 

remarkable for the quaint architecture and solidity 
of the buildings. They seem to have been con- 
structed mainly for defence. The most interesting 
building in this street is the old Church of St. John, 
now a mosque. Externally there is nothing re- 
markable in its appearance ; but there is a simplicity 
in its interior, which is very impressive. The pave- 
ment is covered with inscriptions and effigies, much 
mutilated ; and the roof is sustained by numerous 
plain granite columns, each of a single stone. We 
went through the bazaars, but there seemed to be 
little activity there. TTe also visited the shipyards, 
where a few small vessels were being constructed. 
The city, as I have said, is remarkably neat, and the 
houses well built ; but there is no stir nor bustle in 
the streets ; no appearance anywhere of a crowd ; 
and in most parts of it, one feels a sense of loneliness, 
as if in a deserted town. 

TTe left Ehodes at three o'clock P. M.; and as we 
passed out of the harbour, and directed our course 
westward, into the JEgean Sea, we had a better view 
of the city, its triple walls, and towers and battle- 
ments, and the mountain range by which it is 
backed. A large number of windmills, on the ad- 
joining beach, at the foot of the hills, added to the 
picturesque beauty of the scene. 

The sea was rough until we came under the lee 
of the Asiatic shore, and coasted along among the 



PATMOS. 



313 



little islands of the iEgean. At nine o'clock we 
passed the city and island of Cos, or Coos, the birth- 
place of Apelles and Hippocrates ; and mentioned 
in St. Paul's travels, in connection with Ehodes and 
Patara* It is now called Stanco. In an hour or 
two after, we passed Calimnos, celebrated for its 
sponge trade; almost all the male inhabitants being 
occupied, at certain seasons of the year, in diving 
for sponges. It is said that some of them are such 
expert divers, that they will descend to the depth 
of twenty-five fathoms. 

April 5. We were on deck at a very early hour, 
just as the sun was rising out of the eastern waves, 
throwing his bright beams over the little isle of 
Patmos, and making the whole JEgean a sea of gold. 
It was a beautiful emblem of that far more glorious 
light, which beamed forth from the Sun of righteous- 
ness, on that hallowed isle, when Jesus revealed 
himself there to his beloved disciple, as the "root 
and the offspring of David, and the bright and 
morning star."f We stood with our eyes fixed on 
that bright and beautiful island, so inexpressibly 
dear to every Christian heart, until it became but a 
speck upon the bosom of the sea. We soon passed 
close under the western end of Samos, mentioned in 



* Acts xxi. 1. f Rev. i. 9 ; xxii. 16. 

27* 



314 



SAMOS. 



the voyages of St. Paul,* and still retaining its 
ancient name. This part of the island is a bleak 
and barren mountain, its top covered with snow ; 
the eastern and middle portions are represented as 
very fertile. The city of Samos, the birthplace of 
the philosopher Pythagoras, w r as situated opposite to 
Trogyllium,f another of St. Paul's landing-places, on 
the Ionian shore, from which it was separated by a 
narrow strait. A little south of this is Miletus, 
where St. Paul took his last leave of the elders of 
the church of Ephesus. 

Leaving Samos on our right, and the smaller 
island of Nicaria on our left, we crossed the Gulf 
of Scala Nuova, a few miles up w T hich, on its 
northern shore, are the few remaining ruins of the 
city of Ephesus ; so celebrated in profane history 
for its wealth and luxury, and for that wonder of the 
world, " the temple of the great goddess Diana,";}; 
whom it was the Ephesians' pride and boast, that 
" all Asia and the world worshipped." This strong- 
hold of heathendom is more memorable in Scripture 
history, as the scene of St. Paul's labours for three 
W'hole years ;§ and through his successful preaching, 
"all they which dwelt in Asia, heard the word of the 
Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks." Over the 



* Acts. xx. 15. 
t Acts xix. 27. 



f Acts xx. 15, 17, &c. 
§ Acts xx. 31. 



EPHESUS. 



315 



church which he planted in Ephesus, he placed his 
" beloved Timothy," as the first bishop. Here the 
favoured disciple, St. John, lived, before his banish- 
ment to Patmos ; and here he returned from exile, 
to end his long life; exhorting, with his dying 
breath, his fellow Christians to " love one another." 

What privileges did the church of Bphesus enjoy, 
in being permitted to hear the burning eloquence of 
St. Paul, the kind and affectionate teachings of St. 
John, and to have two such chief shepherds, as Timo- 
thy and Onesimus! To this church was addressed 
one of the epistles of the Apocalypse, in which we 
find the fearful warning, " Eemember from whence 
thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works ; or 
else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove 
thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."* 

Nothing remains of Ephesus now, but a few frag- 
ments of ruins. The church, once the brightest 
of the stars in the Saviour's right hand, a candle- 
stick of purest gold, holding within it the light of 
the everlasting gospel, has ceased to be. The can- 
dlestick has been "removed out of his place;" 
the " star," in the Kedeemer's right hand, has fallen, 
and been quenched in deepest night. "It is im- 
possible," says one who visited the spot, " to find 
a more striking instance of the literal accomplish- 



* Rev. ii. 5. 



316 



SCIO. 



merit of prophecy, than in the fate of Ephesus ; 
the avenging stroke has swept away everything 
belonging to it, but the 1 eternal hills,' the river, and 
a few mouldering columns ; and excepting the 
mournful cry of the jackal, the nighthawk, and the 
owl, and the occasional voice of the wayfarer, or the 
wild shout of the Turcoman, all is silence and soli- 
tude."* 

Having passed the gulf of Scala Xuova, we 
steamed along the coast of Scio, the ancient Chios, 
through the narrow strait which separates it from 
the mainland of Asia Minor. This was once the 
best cultivated, and the most flourishing island of 
the Archipelago ; containing a hundred and fifteen 
thousand inhabitants, mostly Greeks. But during 
the Greek revolutions in 1822 and 1826, occurred 
those dreadful massacres by the Turks, when it is 
estimated, that some thirty thousand were slaughter- 
ed here, and most of the women and children were 
sold into slavery ; so that the island was entirely 
depopulated and laid waste. These atrocities 
aroused the indignation of the whole of Christen- 
dom ; but no where was more sympathy manifested 
for the oppressed Greeks, than in our own country. 
All, with open hand, aided in sending them sub- 
stantial relief. Scio has recovered some portion of 



* Milner on the Seven Churches. Lon. 1831, p. 190. 



SMYRNA. 



317 



its former importance ; but its whole population is 
less than twenty thousand, of whom only a few 
hundred are Turks. It is still however a charming- 
island ; and the town, which stretches along the 
shore, with its bright white houses, contrasted with 
the green of the olive-covered hills, and the deep 
blue of its sheltered bay, is exquisitely beautiful. 
Scio is one of the places which claim the honour of 
having given birth to Homer. It is mentioned in 
the Acts of the Apostles, in connection with St. 
Paul's voyage to Syria.* 

Shortly after leaving Scio we entered the Gulf of 
Smyrna; and running along its western shore in 
nearly a southeast course, for about three hours, we 
anchored at six o'clock in the splendid harbour of 
Smyrna, which is considered one of the finest in the 
Mediterranean. Three Austrian men-of-war, and 
numerous merchant vessels, bearing the flags of 
almost all nations, were riding at anchor around us. 
Among them could be seen the stars and stripes, 
one of the pleasantest sights to an American, in a 
foreign port. 

Numberless light little caiques, the most graceful 
of boats, were gliding among the shipping, carrying 
passengers to and from the shore ; ships were load- 
ing and unloading their cargoes; and altogether there 



* Acts xx. 15. 



S18 



SMYRNA. 



was a scene of life and activity, such as we had not 
met with before, since leaving the shores of Europe. 
It was so near night, when we came to anchor, that 
we concluded to remain, on board ship, and not seek 
lodgings in the city until morning. Our steamer 
was to sail from here to Marseilles, by the way of 
Syra and the Pirseus; while we remained at Smyrna, 
waiting for a boat to take us to Constantinople. 
This delay gave us a favourable opportunity to see 
all that was interesting in this ancient city. 



CHAPTBE XIV, 



SMYRNA TO CONSTANTINOPLE. 



April 6. After securing very comfortable rooms 
at the Hotel Deux Augustes, we called on the Ame- 
rican consul, and then paid our respects to the Eev. 
Mr. Lewis, an English clergyman, who officiates as 
chaplain to the British consulate; and who has lived 
here with his family for more than twenty years. 
At the time of our arrival, considerable excitement 
and alarm prevailed among the citizens of Smyrna, 
on account of some recent revolutionary movement 
in Greece. The Greek ambassador at Constantino- 
ple had left, and all the Greeks in Smyrna, and else- 
where, who are not Turkish subjects, were ordered 
to leave the Sultan's dominions within two weeks. 
Great apprehensions were entertained lest there 
should be an outbreak in Smyrna, but fortunately 
none took place. The Greeks retired quietly, as 
they found opportunities, crowding almost every 
vessel that left the port. In consequence of this 
alarm, and the rumours received from Athens, that 



320 



SMYRNA. 



Greece was in a state of insurrection, and that Athens 
was blockaded by the French, I wrote to my friend 
Dr. Hill, our missionary at Athens, requesting him 
to inform me whether we could safely visit Greece, 
and to let me hear from him on our return from 
Constantinople to this city. 

Smyrna has a motley population, brought together 
for purposes of trade, from every quarter of the 
globe. From the great number of its English, 
French, and American residents, it has more the 
appearance of a European city, or rather, it is less 
Oriental, than any which we have visited since we 
left Malta. This is the consequence of its more 
extended commerce ; a large part of which is with 
England and America. The city extends for a 
great length along its crescent bay, and spreads up 
on the gentle slope of hills, which rise high above 
it. On the highest summit of these hills are the 
remains of an old castle, built by the Genoese, from 
which there is one of the most magnificent views 
that we have ever seen. In some respects it is quite 
equal to the view of ISTaples and its bay, from the 
Castle of St. Elmo. It certainly reminds one of that; 
and is little, if at all, inferior to it. The whole city, 
with its numerous mosques and lofty minarets, its 
gardens of fruit trees, its groves of tall green cypress, 
and its unrivalled harbour, covered with ships and 
boats, are spread like a map before you ; and all 



ANCIENT RUINS. 



321 



these are enclosed by lofty ranges of mountains, 
standing out in beautiful and bold relief on the blue 
horizon. 

Not far from the castle, on the path which con- 
ducted us down to the city, are some ruins, said to 
be the remains of the first Christian church in 
Smyrna. What ground there is for such a belief, I 
was not able to learn ; but whether it be true or not, 
Smyrna has other and higher claims to the interest 
of the Christian, which rest on no uncertain tradi- 
tion. It was one of the first cities on which the 
light of the glorious gospel shone ; and, in the days 
of the apostles, was blessed by a flourishing church, 
whose members were distinguished for their piety 
and zeal. "Unto the angel of the church in Smyrna, 
write ; These things saith the first and the last, 
which was dead, and is alive ; I know thy works, and 
tribulation, and poverty, but thou art rich. Fear 
none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Be 
thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown 
of life."* ? The angel of the church in Smyrna" is 
supposed to have been its first bishop, the venerable 
Polycarp, who was born here. He was the disciple 
of St. John, who appointed him the chief overseer 
of the church in this city. Here this venerable 
saint suffered, A. D. 147, that fearful death, at the 



28 



* Rev. ii. 8-10. 



822 



POLYCARP. 



age of nearly a hundred years, an account of which 
has come down to us in " the circular epistle of the 
church of Smyrna, concerning the martyrdom of St. 
Polycarp," addressed " to the church of God, which 
is at Philadelphia, and to all the other assemblies of 
the holy and catholic church in every place." It 
was in the market-place of Smyrna that he endured 
this martyrdom. When bound with chains, and the 
fire was about to be kindled, the Eoman proconsul 
exhorted him to " reverence his old age," and to 
"swear by the fortune of Caesar;" to "say that 
Christ is not Christ," or to utter any other words, 
which would amount to a denial of the Lord Jesus; 
and promised him life and liberty as the reward of 
his apostacy. " Swear," said he, " and I will release 
thee." " Eeproach Christ, and you shall live." To 
which that venerable bishop, over whose head a 
century of years had rolled, who had been the com- 
panion and disciple of St. John, who had received 
his apostolic commission from the hands of the 
beloved disciple himself, who had been favoured 
with an epistle dictated by his Divine Eedeemer, 
and penned by St. John in Patmos, warning him of 
the things which he should suffer, and holding up to 
him the certain reward of faithfulness unto death, 
made this ever memorable and triumphant reply to 
his Roman ruler; "Reproach Christ! Fourscore and 
six years have I continued serving him, and he hath 



CHURCH OF SMYRNA. 



323 



never wronged me at all ; how then can I blaspheme 
my King and my Saviour?" And when the pro- 
consul again threatened, " I will cause thee to be 
devoured with fire, unless thou shalt repent," he 
meekly answered, "Thou threatenest me with fire 
which burns for an hour, and in a little while is 
extinguished ; for thou knowest not the fire of the 
future judgment, and of that eternal punishment 
which is reserved for the ungodly. But why 
tarriest thou ? Bring forth what thou wilt."* 

" The angel of the church in Smyrna" was " faith- 
ful unto death," and received " a crown of life." 

We brought away with us a small fragment of 
that old ruin, which, if it be not a part of the church 
in which Polycarp preached, will serve to remind 
us of our visit to the scene of his labours and suffer- 
ings. I cannot omit the further remark, that Smyrna 
alone, of all the seven cities of Asia, to whom the 
Apocalyptic Epistles were addressed, retains a mea- 
sure of her ancient greatness ; being at this time 
one of the largest and richest cities of the Levant. 
Nor has the light of the gospel, though greatly 
dimmed, ever been extinguished. The candlestick, 
though its gold is tarnished, is still there, and ever 
has been. More than thirty years since, it was said, 
that M its population was estimated at one hundred 

* Standard works, Prot. Ep. Ch. vol. iv. pp. xxvii. 112, 113. 



824 



SMYRNA. 



and forty thousand, about twenty-six thousand of 
whom were in communion with the Greek Church ; 
five thousand were Eoman Catholics, and one hun- 
dred and forty w^ere Protestants."* The Protestants 
at the present time must be much more numerous 
than this ; judging from the congregations attending 
the English and American chapels, on the Sunday 
that we were there. 

April 7. The steamer which brought us here, 
sailed to-day for Syra, the Piraeus, and Marseilles, 
taking with her our letters to America ; the first 
that we had been able to forward to our friends at 
home, since Ave left Cairo. An American vessel, 
lying in the harbour, and nearly ready to sail for 
Boston, afforded a favourable opportunity for send- 
ing off a great number of articles, which we had 
collected in Egypt and Syria. We packed them in 
a large box, and put them under the care of the 
captain. TThile our baggage was carried on camels 
or mules, these additions to it were attended with 
no inconvenience ; but we have learned by experi- 
ence, that the fewer articles we have, when travelling 
on steamers or railroads, the better. At every 
place where it was practicable, we made a point of 
sending home whatever we thought would not be 

* Home's Introduction, vol. iii. Appx. p. 54. 



t 



SMYKNA. 



325 



necessary to our future comfort. In this way, we 
travelled with greater freedom, and much less ex- 
pense and trouble. We never had more luggage 
than we could easily carry in our hands, in case of 
necessity; consequently there were no extra charges 
for this, nor had we any trouble with custom-house 
officers, for the whole could be inspected in a few 
minutes. 

We took tea and spent a very agreeable evening 
with the Eev. Mr. Lewis, chaplain to the English 
consulate, and his family ; to whom I had a letter 
from Bishop Southgate. They showed us many 
kind attentions during our stay in Smyrna. 

April 8. One of the three Austrian men-of-war, 
lying in the harbour, that which bore the admiral's 
flag, sailed to-day ; and as a large ship under sail is 
always a pleasant object, we went down to see her 
off. She went out in fine style, exchanging salutes 
with the other ships, while the bands played their 
national hymn, which is as spirit stirring to them, as 
the Marseilleaise is to the French, or the Star-spangled 
Banner to Americans. We hear the conduct of 
Captain Ingraham, in the Kosta affair, spoken of in 
the highest terms of eulogy. No words seem too 
strong to express the admiration of the Smyrnots, 
for his cool and determined conduct on that occa- 

28* 



326 SMYRNA. 

sion. He is now with his ship at Constantinople, 
where we hope to see him. 

We visited to day the Dutch consul-general, Mr. 
Yan Lennep, a native of Smyrna, and one of its old- 
est and most respectable merchants. At one time 
he was the consul-general for five foreign powers. 
He has attained the good old age of fourscore and 
eight years, with faculties unimpaired, and is perhaps 
more generally known, and more ^highly esteemed, 
than any other man here. He returned our visit in 
the evening, and sat with us until a late hour, con- 
versing about America. He tells me that he tra- 
velled more than twenty thousand miles, over the 
territory now embraced in the United States, before 
the introduction of railroads and steamboats. This 
was, I think, in the time of the first Adams's admini- 
stration. He was acquainted with both the Adamses, 
and with many other public men of their day. I 
have seldom met with a person, so advanced in 
years, who possessed such a flow of spirits, and such 
a fund of pleasant and instructive conversation. 

April 9. Sunday. We attended the church ser- 
vice, in the morning, at the English consulate ; the 
Eev. Mr. Bolters officiating in the absence of Mr. 
Lewis, the chaplain, who had gone to officiate in a 
neighbouring village. After church we dined at Mr. 
Lewis's ; and as there was no second service at the 



SMYKNA. 



327 



consulate, we accompanied Mrs. Lewis and her 
daughters to the chapel of the American missiona- 
ries. 

At the close of the day we went to the Eev. Mr. 
Bolter's, in time to be present at a service which he has 
every Sunday afternoon, in the Greek language, for 
the benefit of a few Greek Christians, mostly young 
men, who are thus brought under his immediate in- 
fluence. From the success which has thus far at- 
tended his labours in this way, he is encouraged to 
continue them. 

April 10. The Lloyd Austrian steamer arrived, 
with some of our American friends on board, whom 
we left at Cairo. The French steamer from Mar- 
seilles, in which we had engaged our passage to 
Constantinople, also came in, with a great number of 
passengers bound to the seat of war ; among them 
were some English officers, and the French General 
Espinasse, with his suite. When we went on board, 
at three o'clock P. M., we found our old fellow 
travellers, the Pasha of Adana, and the Bey of Bag- 
dad, with their hareems and numerous attendants, 
there before us. The boat, which was thought to be 
full before, might now be said to be a little crowded. 
We were glad, however, to meet our Turkish friends 
again, although they occupied so large a portion of 
the deck, that there was but small space left for 



328 



MITYLENE. 



others; yet we had room enough to sit or stand. 
The sea was calm, the day bright, all the passengers 
appeared to be in good humour, and we had every 
prospect of a comfortable and pleasant voyage. 

We weighed anchor at four o'clock, and steamed 
rapidly out the harbour and down the gulf. It 
proved to be a magnificent night, calm and clear ; 
the moon, nearly at her full, shone out gloriously on 
the glassy sea, showing the mountains, headlands, 
and islands, almost with the distinctness of day. 
We sat upon deck a great part of the night, enjoy- 
ing the splendid scene, and thinking much of home 
and absent friends, as we looked up at the polar star, 
towards which we were steering, and the bright 
constellation near it, which had so often gladdened 
our eyes in our native land. Many a night in our 
journeyings, especially on the sea and through the 
desert, did we gaze with delight upon the north star 
and the pointers ; objects upon which eyes, dear to 
us as our own, might then be gazing. At eleven 
o'clock we anchored at Mitylene, the capital of the 
large island of the same name ; the ancient Lesbos, 
the birthplace of Sappho ; but far more interesting 
to me, for having been consecrated by the presence 
of the great Apostle to the Gentiles.* Lesbos is 
considered one of the most beautiful and the most 



* Aota xx. 14, 



TROAS — TENEDOS. 



329 



productive of theiEgean islands; and is still famous 
for its wine, oil, and figs. The neighbourhood of 
Mitylene is said to abound in olive groves, which 
give it a luxuriant appearance ; but although we re- 
mained in its harbour two or three hours, we did not 
land ; and of course saw it only by the light of the 
full moon ; which, however, was very brilliant, and 
probably rendered the whole landscape even more 
beautiful, than it would have been if seen by day- 
light. Opposite to Lesbos, on the main, a few miles 
from the sea, once stood the renowned city of Per- 
gamos, where was one of the seven churches of 
Asia, mentioned in the book of Kevelations.* 

April 11. We crossed the Gulf of Adramyttium 
in the night, soon after leaving Mitylene ; but we 
were on deck in time to see the sun rise over the 
plains of Troy, and light up with his first rays, the 
beautiful island and town of Tenedos. We were 
now coasting along the shores of Troas, that part of 
Mysia in Asia Minor, of which Troy was the capital ; 
made so familiar and so interesting to the classical 
scholar, by the poems of Homer. 

Here also stood the city of Alexandria, the Troasf 
of Scripture ; memorable for the visits of St. Paul, 

* Rev. ii. 12. 

f Acts xvi. 8-11; xx. 5-12. 2 Cor. ii. 12. 2 Tim. iv. 13. 



330 



DARDANELLES. 



and for his having restored to life the young man, 
Eutychus, who had fallen from the upper room, 
where the apostle was preaching, " and was taken 
up dead." 

Near to the coast are three remarkable mounds, 
each perhaps a hundred feet high, and about half a 
mile apart, known as the tombs of Patroclus, 
Achilles, and Ajax. Beyond the plain are to be 
seen the lofty ridges of Mount Ida ; one of its peaks 
towering high above the rest. As we approached 
the entrance of the Dardanelles, we could discern, far 
off in the iEgean, the islands of Lemnos and Imbros. 
We now entered that narrow strait, the ancient 
Hellespont, now the Dardanelles, which separates 
Asia from Europe, and connects the Mediterranean 
with the sea of Marmora. Numerous merchant ships 
were coming down the straits, with a fair wind, and 
under full sail ; while many first-rate men of war, and 
steamers of the largest class, were to be seen ; some 
lying at anchor, others steaming their way up 
against wind and current, with troops and stores for 
the scene of warfare. The sight of so many splendid 
ships, continually passing us, was exceedingly ani- 
mating to all on board, especially to those of our 
passengers, who expected soon to take part in the 
mighty conflict, between Eussia and the allied pow- 
ers. At nine o'clock in the morning, we anchored in 



Gr ALLIPOLI. 



331 



the harbour of Dardanelles, a town on the Asiatic 
side, midway of the straits. 

Here is a strong fortification; and nearly opposite, 
on the European side, is another; they are known as 
the Castles of Europe and Asia. About half a mile 
above Dardanelles is the site of ancient Abydos, and 
on the other shore, a little further up, is that of Ses- 
tos, made memorable by the story of Hero and 
Leander, and still more memorable, by the passage of 
the vast armament of Xerxes, when marching against 
Greece. 

At the points where he caused his two bridges to 
be erected, the strait is not more than a mile wide ; 
to me it appeared considerably less than this. 

At two o'clock in the afternoon we arrived at Gal- 
lipoli, a small town in European Turkey, at the 
point where the Hellespont unites with the Propon- 
tis, or sea of Marmora. It has become quite cele- 
brated of late, as the port where most of the allied 
troops are disembarked. The harbour is full of 
ships of war and transports. Several thousands of 
soldiers have been landed within a few days, and 
their encampments are seen on the neighbouring 
heights, and along the shore. The French General, 
Espinasse, and several other officers of the French 
and English armies, who were on board of our 
steamer, with their horses, mules, and a great 



332 



SEA OF MABMORA. 



amount of stores and luggage, were to be put on 
shore here ; this detained us several hours. It gave 
us an opportunity, however, to see something of the 
manner in which preparations are being made for 
prosecuting the war ; and to form some faint notion, 
of the immense amount of blood and treasure, which 
must be expended, before it can be brought to a 
close. All the world knows, what a frightful slaugh- 
ter has since been made, among those troops in the 
Crimea. And any one who has read the tales of 
blood, which the history of this war records from the 
beginning, must be pitiless indeed, if he do not desire 
and pray, that the sure word of prophecy may be 
speedily fulfilled, when "nation shall not lift up 
sword against nation, neither shall they learn war 
any more."* 

We left Grallipoli at ten o'clock ; and, as the moon 
was bright and the sea calm, we remained a long 
time on the deck, enjoying the tranquil scene. Not 
a cloud could be seen in the sky, nor a ripple on the 
water.; the heavens, with speechless voice, were de- 
claring their Maker's glory ;f and "the great wide sea 
also,";}: in silence proclaimed his praise. All above 
and around us, told only of peace, harmony, and 
love. 



* Isaiah, ii. 4. Micab. iv. 3. 
X Psalm civ. 25. 



t Psalm xix. 1-3. 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 333 

April 12. When we came on deck, at sunrise this 
morning, we found that we were passing rapidly 
over a smooth sea towards the northern, or Euro- 
pean shore of the Marmora. As we neared the 
coast, many pleasant looking houses and villages 
could be seen ; and these became more frequent, and 
more showy, as we approached the Bosphorus. All 
were now anxiously striving to catch a first sight 
of that great city of the sultan, of which these were 
the outskirts ; and when it came in view, there was 
an universal expression of delight. It was indeed 
a magical scene. 

For beauty of location, and elegance of exte- 
rior, Constantinople, or as the Turks call it, Stam- 
boul, probably surpasses any other city in the 
world. It certainly more than realized my ex- 
pectations; much as they were raised by the glow- 
ing descriptions, which almost all travellers have 
given of it. But we saw it, for the first time, under 
the most favourable circumstances ; a calm sea, a 
bright sky, and a glorious morning sun, rising up 
from Anatolia, to gild the palaces and domes, the 
mosques, and minarets, and towers, with which the 
city of the seven hills was crowned. No less than 
fifteen mosques, of the largest size, could be seen at 
one time, rising high above all surrounding build- 
ings, most of them with more than one minaret. 
The mosque of Achmed has six, and the mosque of 
29 



334 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



St. Sophia four, all of great height. These it is 
which give such external grandeur to the city. To 
add to its present interest and beauty, its superb bay 
was crowded with ships of all nations, many of them 
the pride and boast of the British and French navies; 
yet all lying quietly at anchor, and looking calm 
and peaceful, as if " war had ceased throughout the 
world." To compare great things with small, I 
might say that the city of Boston, as you see it from 
the harbour, crowned with the State House and its 
dome, bears some resemblance to any single elevation 
in Constantinople. And if you could conceive of 
seven or eight such cities as Boston, each with a 
building and dome, surrounded by minarets and 
towers, rising from as many hills, and all united to 
form one great metropolis, you might then have a 
tolerable idea of the capital of the Ottoman empire. 

Such is its general outline, as first seen in ap- 
proaching it from the south, and as you sail along 
its extensive front, on the Sea of Marmora. But as 
you enter the Bosphorus, and sweep around into the 
Golden Horn, passing Seraglio Point, on which are 
the palace and gardens of the Sultan, new beauties 
open upon you, until the view becomes perfectly 
enchanting. You anchor in the inner harbour, and 
find yourself in the centre of a grand panorama of 
cities. On the south of the Golden Horn is Stam- 
boul, the principal residence of the Turks, and oppo- 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



335 



site to it is Scutari, its Asiatic suburb, standing on a 
promontory of Anatolia. On the north of the har- 
bour, situated on lofty hills, are Pera, inhabited 
mostly by Europeans, and the residence of all for- 
eign ambassadors; Galata, which is occupied by 
Greeks ; and Top-Hana, where Turks only reside. 
All these unite together around Stamboul, the an- 
cient Byzantium, to form the metropolis of Turkey. 

e anchored about nine o'clock in the morning 
near to Pera ; and, although we were told that the 
city was full of strangers, and the hotels crowded, 
yet we found no difficulty in getting very comfortable 
accommodations at the Hotel d'Europe, to which we 
had been recommended. Its location, on one of the 
highest streets in Pera, is as desirable, perhaps, as 
any in the town. We thought ourselves exceed- 
ingly fortunate to get in here, and to have a spacious 
room assigned to us, with four large windows ; two 
looking out upon Galata, and its striking old tower; 
the other two overlooking the whole harbour, Scu- 
tari, the Golden Horn, with the bridge that crosses 
it, the palace, and gardens on Seraglio Point, the 
mosques of St. Sophia and Achmed, and, indeed, 
the greater portion of the northern side of Stamboul. 
We can see every vessel that is at anchor in the 
harbour, or that comes in, or departs. To add to 
the beauty of the landscape, there are mountains 
near the Asiatic coast, and far beyond is seen Bi- 



836 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



thynian Olympus, its summit covered with snow. 
Altogether, it is one of the finest prospects ima- 
ginable, either by daylight or moonlight. And we 
are never tired with sitting at our windows to gaze 
upon it. Immediately in front of the hotel, we see 
our own national flag floating from the corvette St. 
Louis, Captain Ingraham ; and a pleasant sight it is 
to us. 

As soon as we had arranged matters to our satis- 
faction at the hotel, we went out to make a few calls 
on persons to whom we had letters ; among them Mr. 
Brown, of the American legation, who is always 
most attentive and kind to his countrymen, the Eev. 
Mr. D wight, and the Eev. Mr. Van Lennep, Mis- 
sionaries of the American Presbyterian Board of 
Foreign Missions, and the Eev. Mr. Blakiston, chap- 
lain to the British embassy. My old friend and 
classmate, the Eev. Mr. Goodell, who has been here 
five-and-twenty years, as a Missionary of the American 
Board, lives three miles from town. He came in to 
see us at our hotel, but we were out, and unfortu- 
nately missed him. 

Pera has a few fine edifices, mostly occupied by 
foreign ambassadors. There is little else to recom- 
mend it, excepting the beautiful views which you 
get from its elevated position. 

The English have built a splendid residence for 
their ambassador. That of the Russian minister, now 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



337 



vacated, in consequence of the war, is a magnificent 
structure. The houses of the inhabitants generally 
are of wood, without paint, and with no pretensions 
to elegance. The streets are narrow, dirty, steep, and 
very badly paved. It is quite a toil to ascend either 
the hill of Galata, or Pera ; but, when on the sum- 
mit, the prospect amply compensates for the fatigue. 

April 13. A most sudden and unpleasant change 
of weather occurred during the night; and the bright 
genial sunshine of yesterday is succeeded by a cold 
drizzly rain, with occasional sleet and snow ; render- 
ing fires indispensable. 

It was most fortunate that we reached the city on 
so fine a morning as that of yesterday ; for had we 
been one day later, our first impressions of Stamboul 
would not have been very favourable. As the sky 
occasionally brightened up a little, we walked out, 
but were glad to return to our comfortable room 
and cheerful fire. 

April 14. Good Friday. When we arose this 
morning, the house tops, over which our windows 
look, toward the bay, were covered with snow to 
the depth of several inches; and it continued snow- 
ing, raining, and blowing violently, the greater part 
of the day. We attended service at the British 
embassy, and heard an excellent sermon by the 

29* 



338 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



chaplain, Mr. Blakiston, from 1st Peter i. 18, 19, 
on the Redemption through Christ. 

Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, a 
large number of persons were present ; and among 
them several English gentlemen, who were our fellow 
travellers in Egypt and Palestine. TTe spent the even- 
ing at the Eev. Mr. Dwight's, in company with one 
of his brother missionaries, the Eev. Mr. Benja- 
min. Others of his American friends had been in- 
vited to meet us, but were prevented by the storm. 
Mr. Dwight tells us, that during his residence here 
of more than twenty years, he has no recollection of 
so severe a snow storm as this. A servant came 
from our hotel, with a lantern, to conduct us home ; 
no one being allowed to walk the streets at night, 
without a lantern, in any Turkish town. 

April 15. Our first care this morning was to 
have our passports prepared, and then secure our 
passage on board the Austrian steamer to Athens. 
The day was chilly, but otherwise pleasant. While 
our passport was undergoing the necessary forms at 
the French consul's office, we took a caique and 
rowed oft" to the United States ship St. Louis. Al- 
though a small vessel, compared with many at an- 
chor in the harbour, she is a perfect pattern of neat- 
ness and order ; and one of which an American may 
be justly proud. We were received with great 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



339 



courtesy and kindness by Captain Ingraham and his 
officers ; and, after passing a very pleasant half hour 
with them, we returned to Pera ; and, walking up to 
the bridge of boats which crosses the Golden Horn, 
entered Stamboul proper. The objects of interest 
are not numerous ; although it is thought to be the 
largest city in Europe; having, with its suburbs, 
nearly one million inhabitants. There are here no 
galleries of paintings, or sculpture, no museums of 
art or science, which are the chief attractions of other 
great European capitals. For beauty of situation, 
and for external splendour, it is, as I have said, pro- 
bably unequalled by any other city in the world ; 
being built on a peninsula formed by the sea of 
Marmora, the Bosphorus, and the Golden Horn, a 
crescent-shaped bay, which extends some three or 
four miles on the northern side of the city. The 
point of this peninsula, on which stood the ancient 
Byzantium, is now occupied by the seraglio, a 
palace of the Sultan; which, with its numerous 
buildings and gardens, is three miles in circumfe- 
rence. 

We took horses and rode through the principal 
streets and bazaars, and to the places of greatest 
interest. We had heard much of the narrow, ill 
paved streets, and filthy appearance of Stamboul, 
but in these respects, it was better than most of the 
Eastern cities which we had visited. 



310 



CONSTANTINOPLE 



Its houses are generally of wood, unsightly, and 
built without any regard to uniformity of architec- 
ture or arrangement. "Whenever a fire occurs, 
which is frequently the case, it makes frightful rava- 
ges among such combustible materials, oftentimes 
consuming many hundreds of houses at once. Con- 
trasted with its outward beauty, its internal appear- 
ance is shabby indeed. 

ISTear the imperial gate of the palace, from 
which the Sublime Porte takes its name, is the 
mosque of St. Sophia, once a Christian church, 
built by Constantine the Great. It is unquestion- 
ably the most interesting object in the city, on 
account of its many sacred and historical asso- 
ciations. It was the cathedral church, where Chris- 
tian emperors worshipped, and where Chrysostom, 
the golden-mouthed, poured forth his words of 
burning eloquence. For more than eleven centu- 
ries, it retained its sacred character as a Christian 
church, when, by the death of the last of the Con- 
stantines, and the capture of the city, it fell into the 
hands of the Turks, A. D. 1453. It was then con- 
verted into a mosque ; and ever since, the crescent, 
on its lofty dome, has occupied the place of the cross, 

A short distance from the mosque of St. Sophia is 
the ancient hippodrome, at one end of which stands 
an Egyptian obelisk. It is a single block of red 
syenite, fifty feet high ; inferior, in size and beauty, 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



341 



to those of its former companions, which we saw in 
Alexandria and Heliopolis. Near it is a loftier obe- 
lisk, built of blocks of marble, and once covered 
with bronze, the work of one of the Eoman empe- 
rors, at the close of the fourth century. By the side 
of these is a curious old brazen column, fifteen feet 
high, and a foot in diameter, composed of three 
twisted serpents. It is one of those which the Em- 
peror Constantine brought from the temple of Apollo 
at Delphi, to adorn the hippodrome of his new city. 
It once supported the tripod of the celebrated Del- 
phic oracle. Not far from the hippodrome is a large 
pillar, ninety-four feet high, known as " the burnt 
column," from having been disfigured by numerous 
fires. It is said to have been erected by Constantine 
the Great, and was formerly surmounted by a statue 
of the emperor. 

One of the most extraordinary remains of the 
ancient city, also the work of Constantine, is now 
known as the subterranean palace, or the palace 
of a thousand and one columns. It is one of those 
immense reservoirs, by which the old city was 
supplied with water; like those that we saw 
at Baiae and Eamleh, only much more extensive. 
Within, it has the appearance of the crypt of a vast 
cathedral, supported by a double row of lofty pil- 
lars, said to be a thousand and one in number, but, 
in reality, about four or five hundred. We de- 



342 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



scended to it by a broad flight of stone steps, and 
found a great number of persons, mostly women and 
children, occupying these subterranean corridors, 
and engaged in various kinds of handicraft, but prin- 
cipally in winding and twisting silk. 

Not far from this ancient imperial cistern is a mag- 
nificent white marble mausoleum of Sultan Mah- 
moud; and a little beyond it is the mosque of Achmed, 
with its six lofty minarets ; next to St. Sophia, the 
largest and most beautiful mosque in the city. The 
covered bazaars of Constantinople are among the 
chief objects of attraction to the stranger. They 
are wider, more extensive, and more commodious, 
than those of Cairo, and present a much more showy 
appearance ; especially in their rich display of silks 
and embroideries. In the " bazaar des armes," where 
are kept the most costly goods, and which is open 
only a few hours each day, may be seen all the riches 
of which we read in the tales of the Arabian Nights. 
We wandered among these bazaars until nearly 
night, and then, recrossing the bridge to Galata, 
walked up by its fine old tower, and passing through 
the Turkish burial-ground, filled with tall dark 
cypresses, we returned to our hotel. 

April 16. Easter Sunday. We had another 
snowy day, but the storm was not so disagreeable, as 
that on Good Friday. The services at the British 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



343 



Embassy were conducted by the Eev. Mr. Blakiston, 
the chaplain, and the rooms were well filled. About 
forty persons remained to the Holy Communion; 
among them were Lord Stratford, and the Earl of 
Carlisle. It gave me great pleasure, when kneeling 
at the chancel, to find that Captain Ingraham was 
by my side. How delightful it is to see our seafar- 
ing men, and especially the officers of our navy, 
attentive to the highest duties of religion, and do- 
ing honor to their profession, by their exemplary 
lives. They thus become most useful missionaries 
in foreign lands. Captain Ingraham walked with us 
to our hotel, and promised to call on us to-morrow. 
We were again at the Embassy in the afternoon, and 
found the services nearly as well attended as in the 
morning. They were made more impressive to us 
by the fact, that this is the anniversary of our sailing 
from New York on our present tour. And I trust 
that the memory of mercies, which we have received 
the year past, in all our journeys, the recollection of 
the divine protection from sickness and danger, from 
perils by land and sea, has quickened our devotion, 
and added new fervour to our hymns of thankfulness 
and praise. 

April 17. The fine weather having returned, we 
improved it diligently, as this was to be our last day 
in Constantinople. The Rev. Mr. D wight called at 



344 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



an early hour, and offered to be our cicerone for the 
forenoon ; and a more experienced and agreeable 
one we could not have had. We engaged a caique, 
one of those beautiful boats which we have seen only 
in the Levant, long and narrow, and almost as light 
as an Indian's birch canoe, with two men to row it. 
Having seated ourselves, Turkish fashion, on the 
soft cushions in the bottom of the boat, we were 
borne rapidly over the water, first to the St. Louis, 
where we remained half an hour. "We next rowed 
up the Bosphorus several miles, to see the palaces 
and villas on its beautiful shores. The new palace, 
which is to be the future residence of the Sultan, is 
nearly finished. It is built in European style, of white 
marble, elaborately wrought, and presents a magni- 
ficent front to the sea, several hundred feet in length. 
It stands so near the water, that the broad flights of 
marble stairs, which lead up to it, are washed by the 
waves ; reminding us of some of the finest palaces 
of Venice. One mile above this is the Sultan's 
present residence ; it is of wood, in purely oriental 
style, and, as seen from the water, has quite an im- 
posing appearance. 

On our return, we crossed over to Scutari, on 
the Asiatic side, where a large number of English 
troops were disembarking; a number of trans- 
ports having just arrived, and among them the 
Himalaya, with a thousand on board. We did not 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



345 



stop at Scutari, but recrossed to the entrance of the 
Golden Horn, and landing a little above the Seraglio, 
discharged our caique, and took another and more 
leisurely walk through the bazaars. They are 
among the most interesting objects in Constantinople; 
and no where, perhaps, do you obtain a better know- 
ledge of Eastern costumes, habits, and customs, than 
here. It being a fine day, the streets and shops 
were more crowded than at our former visit ; and 
there was a much greater display of costly and ele- 
gant goods. We made a few purchases ; the more 
advantageously, no doubt, from having Mr.* D wight 
for an interpreter. 

Eeturning from the bazaars, we took another 
caique, and rowed up past two of the bridges which 
cross the Golden Horn, as far as the navy yard ; 
thus having an opportunity of seeing the whole of 
Stamboul, on this side, from the water, where it 
always appears to the greatest advantage. Several 
ships of war were on the stocks ; and a number of 
the largest class were lying near by at anchor. We 
were told that the finest vessels in the Turkish navy 
were built by American shipwrights, who came here 
for that purpose. 

At two o'clock we were back to our hotel, and in 
time to receive another pleasant visit from Captain 
Ingraham, who gave us a package of letters to take 
to America. Mr. Brown, who has been for a num- 
30 



346 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



ber of years connected with the American legation 
here, very kindly procured us a firman to see the 
seraglio and mosques to-day; but, while we felt 
under great obligations to him for this special kind- 
ness, as for many other favours during our short 
stay, we were obliged to forego the pleasure, as our 
passages were engaged in the steamer which sails 
this afternoon. Having already seen the interior of 
several of the finest palaces and mosques in the East, 
we had no particular wish to see these ; but had we 
remained one day longer, we should have availed 
ourselves of an opportunity, which had once before 
been presented to us and declined. 



CHAPTEE XV. 



CONSTANTINOPLE TO ATHENS. 



April 17. At four o'clock we were on board the 
Austrian steamer Stamboul, and at five o'clock we 
were under way ; steaming out of the Golden Horn, 
into the Bosphorus, and around Seraglio Point, to 
the Sea of Marmora. Nearly opposite to the city, 
on the Asiatic shore, a little below Scutari, is the 
small Turkish village of Kadikevi, on the site of the 
ancient Chalcedon, a city of great historical note ia 
the reigns of Darius and Xerxes ; and celebrated ia 
ecclesiastical history for the fourth general council, 
of six hundred and thirty bishops, assembled there 
by the Emperor Marcian in A. D. 481. 

The afternoon of our departure was bright and 
mild, and the sea smooth ; much such a day as that 
of our arrival; so that our first and last impressions 
of Constantinople, as seen from the sea, were equally 
favourable. Our first view was when the morning 
sun lighted up with his earliest beams its palaces, 
and mosques, and minarets, and domes ; our last 



348 



GALLIPOLI. 



view was when, with his evening rays, he gilded all 
these with a brighter but momentary glory, and 
then left them to the softer light of the stars. Before 
night closed in, we had one more view of the snowy 
summit of the Bithynian Olympus, and of the more 
distant ranges of Mount Ida. 

April 18. We reached Gallipoli at six o'clock in 
the morning, and remained there about an hour. 
Thirty vessels of war, chiefly French, were lying at 
anchor in the harbour ; six of these were propellers 
of the largest class, mounting probably from ninety 
to a hundred guns each. The allied troops are 
constantly arriving, and encamping on the neigh- 
bouring plains. It is expected that in a few weeks 
there will have been not less than thirty-five thou- 
sand English, and seventy-five thousand French 
troops, landed at this port. Their future destination 
is not yet made known ; though it is generally 
believed, that the army will be concentrated in the 
neighbourhood of Adrianople, the former capital of 
the Turkish Empire, and some seventy or eighty 
miles in the interior. 

We had a fine run through the straits, stopping 
at the Dardanelles for half an hour ; and at noon we 
reached Tenedos, where we remained too short a 
time for us to go on shore. We were now in the 
iEgean Sea, retracing our course over that part of 



SMYRNA. 



849 



it which we before passed in the night. Crossing 
the gulf of Adramyttium we anchored just at sunset 
in the harbour of Mitylene, and thus were favoured 
with another view of this interesting town, and its 
olive-crowned hills, which we had seen before in 
the moonlight. 

April 19. At four o'clock this morning we were 
in the harbour of Smyrna ; and immediately after 
breakfast we landed, and spent most of the day with 
our friends on shore ; whose kindness, on this and 
our former visit, we shall ever remember with grati- 
tude. Taking leave of them at five o'clock, we 
returned to our steamer, and were soon under way 
for Syra and the Pirseus. In addition to our other 
passengers, we had taken on board at Smyrna a 
large number of expelled Greeks, so that our boat 
was quite crowded. The weather was calm during 
our run down the gulf; but when we entered at 
night the open sea, the wind blew violently, making 
it very rough; but our berths were comfortable, and 
we experienced no great inconvenience from the 
storm. 

April 20. A little before noon to-day we entered 
the harbour of Syra, the ancient Syros ; the wind 
still blowing so furiously, that we dropped two 
large anchors with heavy chain cables; but even 

30* 



350 



SYRA. 



then, we drifted against another Austrian steamer, 
and carried away our rudder wheel, and a portion 
of the quarter railing. It was fortunate that we 
received no other injury than this. The harbour 
was full of vessels at anchor, many of which had 
sought refuge here from the gale. The quarantine 
regulations did not permit us to land, and we had 
therefore to content ourselves with such a view of 
Syra, as we could get from the deck of our steamer. 
Its situation is very romantic; the principal part of 
the town being built on the sides of a steep conical 
hill; the buildings extending to the very summit, 
which is crowned with a church. 

Loftier hills rise just behind, almost encircling 
that on which the city stands. From the harbour, it 
has a remarkably clean and bright appearance. It 
possesses a greater number of merchant vessels, and 
is a place of greater commercial importance, than 
any other port of Greece. We were the more anx- 
ious to go on shore, as we knew there were letters 
there for us from home, which had been forwarded 
from Athens. Much to our mortification, all our 
efforts to obtain them proved unsuccessful ; so strin- 
gent is the quarantine. Before night the gale 
abated, and we left Syra at eight o'clock, with no 
other feeling of regret than that of leaving our let- 
ters behind ; and probably not getting them, or any 
others from home, until we reached London. 



PIRAEUS. 



351 



April 21. When we came on deck, very early in 
the morning, we found ourselves near the celebrated 
promontory of Sunium, the extreme southern point 
of Attica. It is a bold headland, on which once 
stood the magnificent temple of Minerva, built of 
white marble, and perfect in its architecture. Some 
twelve or fifteen columns of this splendid edifice re- 
main; and one of them which stands in solitary 
grandeur near the cape, has obtained for this pro- 
montory the name of Cape Colonna. Turning this 
point, we entered the Gulf of iEgina, the ancient 
Sinus Saronicus; and soon passed near to the fertile 
island of ^Egina, which still retains its ancient name. 
Next came Salamis, with its broad and capacious 
bay, in which the whole naval force of Greece was 
assembled, on that memorable day when they at- 
tacked and dispersed the combined fleet of the Per- 
sians, while Xerxes sat upon a neighbouring height 
to witness his defeat. As we approached the head 
of the gulf, we had a fine view of Athens, the Acro- 
polis, and the neighbouring mountains, Parnes, Pen- 
telicus, and Hymettus. The summit of the first was 
covered with snow. 

It was only eight o'clock when we anchored in the 
Piraeus, the port of Athens; but we were obliged to 
remain on board four hours, to finish our quaran- 
tine. Within the harbour, and near the seaside, is 



352 



ATHENS. 



an humble structure which, tradition points out as 
the tomb of Themistocles. 

At twelve o'clock we were permitted to go on 
shore. Taking a carriage at the landing, we drove 
over a broad, hard, and smooth road, which runs 
along by the remains of the ancient wall to the city, 
a distance of six miles. 

We found comfortable rooms at the Hotel des 
Etrangers, which is pleasantly situated near the 
palace of King Otho, and is kept by a very accom- 
modating landlord named Demetri. There was, 
however, but little occasion for his services ; for we 
knew that my old friend, Eev. Dr. Hill, was expect- 
ing us, and we hastened immediately to his house. 
He, with his family, gave us a most cordial greeting; 
their dinner was soon on the table, and soon dis- 
posed of ; for our time was precious, as we expected 
the steamer, which was to take us to Marseilles, 
would arrive at the Piraeus the next day. We 
must therefore see as much as possible this after- 
noon. Everything favoured our wishes. The car- 
riage was at the door as soon as we had dined, and 
with Mr. and Mrs. Hill for our companions and 
guides— the best we could possibly have — in four or 
five hours, every moment of which was industriously 
occupied, we had seen almost everything in Athens 
that one desires to see. We then returned to the 
house of our hospitable friends, and passed a delight- 



ATHENS. 



353 



ful evening, with the additional gratification of 
meeting there our fellow citizens, Mr. Gardel and 
lady, and the Misses Peters, who had recently ar- 
rived. 

Dr. and Mrs. Hill have been missionaries in 
Greece, under the direction of the Board of Missions 
of the Episcopal Church, for twenty-four years. 
They came to Athens after its destruction by the 
Turks, when there were only five hundred inhab- 
itants, and not a single roof of a house remaining. 
They occupied, at first, a portion of a ruined tower ; 
and there began their missionary labours, by open- 
ing a school, which in a few days numbered ninety 
scholars. 

They have lived to see the place rise from its 
ruins, and gradually become a well-built and hand- 
some city, the capital of the kingdom of Greece, with 
a population of twenty-eight thousand. Their 
schools for the education of Greek children, both 
boys and girls, became so popular and flourishing, 
that for several years they had a thousand pupils 
constantly under their care. After the establishment 
of good government schools, it was thought best to 
discontinue theirs for boys, and confine their in- 
struction to girls. The school at present consists of 
three hundred Greek girls, most of whom are edu- 
cated gratuitously; but some of the more wealthy 
citizens pay for the education of their daughters. 



354 



ATHENS. 



The mission family consists of Dr. and Mrs. Hill, 
Miss Baldwin, her sister Mrs. Haye, who has charge 
of the domestic department, a young Greek lady, 
brought up and educated in the family, and an in- 
valuable aid to the mission, known as " Elizabeth of 
Crete," and twenty or thirty young Greek girls, who 
are boarding scholars. The school sustains its well 
earned reputation; and no one who visits Athens can 
doubt that it has been, and is, a great blessing to the 
Greeks. As this is Easter week of the Greek 
Church, the scholars have a vacation during the 
holydays. It is unnecessary to add, that Dr. and 
Mrs. Hill possess the confidence, respect, and affec- 
tion, of the whole communit}^. But their better 
record is on high ; and while they have the satisfac- 
tion of seeing their labours crowned with abundant 
success, there is for them, we trust, a more enduring 
reward. 

It is a singular fact, and an additional proof of the 
confidence reposed in Dr. Hill, that while he is an 
American clergyman, and missionary of our General 
Board of Missions, he is also chaplain to the British 
Embassy. The English have recently built, by pri- 
vate subscription, a very neat Gothic church, where 
Dr. Hill officiates as chaplain every Sunday. At first 
it seemed to me an incongruous thing, that such a 
structure should be erected in Attica ; but I am not 
sure that it was not a wise taste, which chose the 



PJSTYX. 



355 



Gothic for an humble Christian edifice, to be built 
amidst the ruins of the most magnificent heathen 
temples that the world has ever seen. 

I shall not attempt a particular description of 
these ruins, but briefly notice the most remarkable, 
in the order in which we visited them. Of the once 
magnificent temple of the Olympian Jupiter, built 
of Pentelic marble, fourteen of its lofty fluted col- 
umns remain standing and entire. Near it is an 
arched Roman gateway built by the Emperor Adrian. 
Passing through this arch, we went to the theatre of 
Herodes Atticus, a noble ruin on the side of the hill 
crowned by the Acropolis. A little beyond is an 
excavation in the rock, shown as the prison of 
Socrates, where, it is said, he drank the fatal poison. 
Not far from this is the tomb of Cimon, and of 
Miltiades, which is also hewn in the rock. We 
next came to the celebrated Pnyx, or Athenian 
forum, a large semicircular area, situated on a gently 
sloping hill. The whole area is well defined; one 
side of it is supported by a cyclopean wall, each 
stone being ten or twelve feet long and six feet 
thick. The Bema, or pulpit, in the centre of this 
forum, is a solid pedestal carved out of the living 
rock. This is the world renowned spot from which 
Athenian orators addressed the people. It v/as 
something to say that we had stood, where Demos- 
thenes stood, when the thunder of his eloquence 



356 



AKEOPAGUS. 



moved the hearts of the Athenians as the heart of 
one man. 

But we had a higher pleasure in store than this. 
Descending the hill from the Pnyx, and crossing a 
small intervening valley, we ascended the Areopa- 
gus, or Mars' Hill ; from the top of which a greater 
and wiser than Demosthenes once addressed the 
M men of Athens," on a theme immeasurably more 
important, than had ever entered the mind of their 
own greatest orator. One must stand upon the sum- 
mit of Mars' Hill, at the very point where St. Paul 
delivered his masterly address, to realize its wonder- 
ful adaptation to persons and places, to times and 
circumstances. The open space of the Areopagus 
commands now, as it did then, one of the most 
lovely, and one of the most sublime landscapes 
in the world. You see before you the plains and 
mountains, the seas and skies of Attica, — all of God's 
creation, and all unchanged ; while above, and be- 
low, and around, are the splendid remains of man's 
magnificent handiwork ; temples, whose very ruins 
have taught us all that we now know of the beauty 
and grace of architecture. As I stood upon the 
rock, which the apostle's feet had pressed, when he 
revealed to the learned Athenians the attributes and 
perfections of M the unknown God," whom they 
ignorantly worshipped, that discourse came home to 
my heart, as it had never done before. I saw those 



MAES' HILL. 



357 



mountains and hills, and plains and seas, and that 
clear soft Grecian sky, canopying the whole, upon 
which the apostle's eye rested, when he uttered that 
brief, but powerful exordium, " God who made the 
world, and all things therein." I -saw on the plain 
below, the Theseum ; and, above me, the Acropolis, 
with its temples of matchless beauty, the Parthenon 
and the Erectheum. These were before St. Paul's 
eyes, in all their perfection, when he said, " God that 
made the world, and all things therein, seeing that 
he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in tem- 
ples made with hands."* And it required no great 
effort of the imagination, to conceive of those thirty 
thousand altars and statues, with which "the city, 
wholly given to idolatry," had covered the hills and 
plain, and which the apostle looked round upon, 
when he told the Athenians, that they were " in all 
things too superstitious ;" and that " they ought not 
to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, 
or stone, graven by art and man's device." It was 
amid sights and scenes like these, in the highest 
court of judicature, surrounded by the wise men of 
Greece, citizens and strangers, Epicureans and Stoics, 
philosophers of every sect, that the great Apostle to 
the Gentiles stood forth, and, with a burning zeal for 
the truth of Christ, endeavoured to convert them 

* Acts xvii. 24. 



31 



t 

358 



ACROPOLIS. 



from the worship of dumb idols, to the service of the 
one living and true God ; the Creator, the Preserver, 
and the Bedeemer of men; the God "in whom we 
live, and move, and have our being." 

Night was approaching, when we descended Mars' 
Hill, and we hastened to be at the Acropolis, in time 
to behold the celebrated sunset view, from the front 
of the Parthenon. We had just reached the en- 
trance of the temple, when, looking through the 
Propylasa, we saw the sun sinking behind the moun- 
tains of the Morea. It was indeed a glorious spec- 
tacle ; one which requires the gifted pen of a poet 
to describe. The Acropolis, or citadel of Athens, is 
the top of a high and almost perpendicular rock, the 
area of which, enclosed by lofty walls, is one thou- 
sand feet in length, and five hundred in breadth. 
The entrance to it is through noble Propylaea, five 
columns in depth, of admirable workmanship, and 
among the most remarkable of Athenian ruins. 
The principal buildings within the enclosure, are the 
exquisitely beautiful little temple of " Victory with- 
out wings," in which is a statue of the goddess loos- 
ing her sandal, and preparing to abide with the vic- 
torious Athenians; the Erectheum, or temple of 
Minerva Polias, where the goddess had her trium- 
phant contest with Neptune, for the soil of Attica ; 
and the Parthenon, or temple of Minerva Parthenos ; 
which is, without question, " the finest building in 



PAKTHENON. 



359 



the finest situation in the world a building which 
the best judges have pronounced faultless. 

We had chosen, probably, the best time for seeing 
these ruins, as well as for enjoying the extensive 
view which the Acropolis commands. On the north 
and east are the snow-capped Parnes, the loftiest of 
the mountain range ; Pentelicus, whose inexhausti- 
ble quarries have furnished marble for all these tem- 
ples, and still supply it for modern Athens ; and 
Hymettus, as famous now, as of old, for the excel- 
lence of its honey. These form a noble back ground 
to the picture. Nearer, is Lycabettus, and Mars' 
Hill, and the Pnyx; all surrounded by the plain. 
The city lies at your feet. On the west and south 
are the Piraeus, the gulf of iEgina, the island and 
bay of Salamis, the isthmus and gulf of Corinth, 
and the mountains of the Morea. This is but a feeble 
outline of what may be seen from the Acropolis. 

"We did not leave the Parthenon, until the shades 
of evening compelled us to retire. And it is an inci- 
dent worthy of remark, that, as we turned to go, 
two owls flew across the building and lighted on one 
of its columns. A most unexpected and gratifying 
sight ; Minerva's own birds in her own most splendid 
temple ; perhaps descendants of those which the 
ancient Athenians had cherished here, as sacred to 
the Goddess of Wisdom, the Pallas- Athene, their 
peculiar tutelar deity. 



360 



TEMPLE OF THESEUS. 



April 22. We went to Dr. Hill's, by invitation, 
at a very early hour, to be present at their morning 
devotions. The family, including a number of Greek 
girls belonging to the school, were assembled in the 
library. The service, a very interesting one, was in 
Greek ; which is usually the language of the house- 
hold. At breakfast we ate of the honey of Hymet- 
tus, from the doctor's own hives, kept at a summer 
residence of his, on the side of the mountain. It is 
held in high repute at Athens, for its delicious fla- 
vour, and aromatic odour; and, as we thought, 
deservedly so. 

Immediately after breakfast, Dr. Hill very kindly 
went with us to the few places which we had not 
time to see yesterday. The principal of these, 
were the octagonal temple of iEolus, the Doric 
gate of the Agora, or market-place; the Stoa, or 
Porch of Adrian, and the Temple of Theseus. This 
last is exceedingly beautiful ; and so perfect, that it 
can hardly be called a ruin. Every column is stand- 
ing, and the roof and sides are entire. The frieze 
is ornamented with elaborately wrought bas-reliefs, 
representing the labours of this Athenian Hercules. 
Its situation is admirable for displaying all its beau- 
ties to the best advantage. This seems to have been 
a matter of great moment with the old Greek artists, 
who display as much taste in the position of their 
buildings as in their architecture. 



ATHENS. 



361 



At noon, Dr. Hill said to us, " You have now seen 
all that is to be seen at Athens." We had certainly 
seen it under the most favourable circumstances ; 
for which we felt greatly indebted to him, and his 
excellent lady. Bidding farewell to our kind friends, 
we rode down to the Piraeus, to embark on the 
"Scamandre" for Marseilles. Our places had been 
secured before we left Constantinople; this being one 
of the new line of steamers which run directly to 
France, without touching at any ports, excepting 
those of Athens and Messina. To our surprise and 
pleasure, Dr. Hill came down, an hour or two after, 
to see us oflfj and to introduce us to Madame de Hei- 
denstam, the wife of the Swedish minister at Athens, 
who with her children was going to visit her home 
and friends in Scotland. We found them very 
agreeable companions. 



31* 



CHAPTER XVI. 



HOME THROUGH PRANCE. 



TTe weighed anchor at five o'clock, and had a 
fine run down the gulf of JEgina. The next day, 
Sunday, we were crossing the Ionian Sea, and a 
heavy swell seemed to betoken a coming storm. 
On Monday, a strong head wind caused our boat 
to pitch badly, and dash the spray over her ; but 
we remained on deck the greater part of the day. 
In the afternoon, we made the Island of Sicily, 
and ran along its shore near to Mount iEtna,- whose 
sides were covered with snow. At ten o'clock 
in the evening, we cast anchor in the harbour of 
Messina ; where we had been four months and a half 
before, on our voyage to Malta. 

April 25. I was on deck at sunrise ; the morning 
was perfect, and the view exceedingly beautiful. 
The harbour is spacious and well protected. The 
town, containing more than eighty thousand inhabi- 
tants, is pleasantly situated at the foot of lofty hills, 



MESSINA. 



363 



which are covered with a luxuriant growth of vines 
and olives. On the opposite side of the narrow 
channel, are to be seen the picturesque mountains 
and villages of Calabria. The harbour was full of 
vessels riding at anchor ; but the pleasantest sight to 
me, within the whole circle of vision, was a noble 
frigate over which floated the American flag. I soon 
ascertained that it was the Cumberland, Commodore 
Stringham, commander-in-chief of the United States 
forces in the Mediterranean. Having a letter to him 
from my old friend Commodore Parker, I asked per- 
mission of the captain of our steamer to be put on 
board the frigate. He referred me to the health offi- 
cer of the port, then on board the steamer, who told 
me it was impossible, because we had not the visa 
of a Neapolitan consul ; although our passport was 
endorsed by the Neapolitan minister in London. I 
had no means, of course, of getting the required 
signature, but I resolved not to be balked in that 
manner ; so I gave a boatman a frank to take my 
letter to the ship, and wait for an answer. He soon 
returned with the Commodore's compliments, saying 
that he would send his barge directly to bring us to 
breakfast with him. When the ship's officer came, 
no objection was made to our going with him. It 
was now only seven o'clock, an early hour for visit- 
ing ; but we found Commodore Stringham, his lady, 
and two daughters, ready to receive us with a hearty 



o6i 



SARDINIA AND CORSICA. 



welcome. While we were at breakfast, the band 
played " Hail Columbia,'' u The Star Spangled Ban- 
ner," and other favourite national airs. It is unneces- 
sary to say. that this was one of the most agreeable 
mornings which we have had in the past year. "VTe 
remained on board, as long as we thought we could 
venture to do so, without risk of being left behind ; 
the Commodore then ordered his boat to take us 
back to our steamer. 

At twelve o'clock we again weighed anchor, and 
in an hour after were passing the Strait between 
Scylla and Charybclis. In two hours more, we were 
among the Lipari Islands, and near to Stromboli. 
The next day we had a head wind, and rough sea, 
and made very slow progress. 

April 27. TTe got under the lee of the Island of 
Sardinia, and made better headway. Passing 
through the Strait of Bonifacio, between Sardinia 
and Corsica, by an intricate, but shorter route, known 
' ; as the passage of the Bear," from a rock bearing a 
remarkable resemblance to that animal, we were 
soon in the teeth of the wind again. TVe kept near 
the coast of Corsica, passing in sight of Bonifacio, a 
fortified port, and of Ajaecio, the birthplace of Na- 
poleon. 



April 23. The wind during the night increased to 



BAY OF TOULON". 



365 



a gale, and the sea was terrific ; causing no little un- 
easiness to all on board. We were glad when day- 
light came, and found that the pilot had run in for 
shelter near to the Hieres, a small cluster of islands 
on the coast of France. The captain's desire was to 
reach the harbor of Toulon, where he would anchor 
for the night, and, if needful, remain there the next 
day. All depended on our ability to weather the 
cape, which forms the eastern side of the harbour. 
At eleven o'clock it was only five miles distant; our 
steamer was literally ploughing through the waves, 
yet she seemed to make no progress. All was 
anxiety among the passengers for five hours more, 
when we providentially passed the cape, slowly crept 
up the Bay of Toulon, and entered its capacious 
haven, most thankful for our escape. Even here, 
protected as we were by a high cliff, two anchors 
were necessary to enable us to ride securely. The 
quarantine regulations would not permit us to land; 
nor should we have attempted it in such weather. 
Toulon is a strongly fortified city; has two large 
harbours, arsenals, dockyards, and everything else 
that is necessary for an important naval depot. 

April 29. The wind continued to blow furiously 
nearly all night. At about four o'clock in the morn- 
ing, it began to abate, when we put to sea again ; and 
after battling with the winds and waves six hours 



366 



MARSEILLES. 



more, we arrived safely at Marseilles. In moderate 
weather the run can be made easily in three hours. 
But we thought little of the delay. Our difficulties 
and dangers were past, and we only desired to have 
a proper sense of gratitude to our Great Protector, 
who had mercifully preserved us from the perils of 
the deep, and brought us to the haven where we 
would be. 

Our luggage was passed the custom house, with 
slight examination. The officer smiled when "Wil- 
liam told him, that a suspicious looking parcel con- 
tained nothing but the American Flag, which our 
boat had borne on the Nile. "We found comfortable 
accommodations at the Hotel des Empereurs ; where 
we intend resting for a day or two from the fatigues 
of our voyage. Marseilles possesses but few objects 
of interest to the stranger. It is the most import- 
ant seaport of France, and of the Mediterranean. 
Its population is about two hundred thousand. The 
new parts of the town are well built, and the streets 
are wide and clean. Many of the houses are elegant, 
and the shops make a display almost equal to Paris. 
There is unusual activity in the harbour at this time, 
in fitting out transports; and the city is filled with 
troops destined for the East. Military companies are 
hourly passing our windows, or parading in front of 
the hotel, delighting our ears with the music of their 
bands. 



MARSEILLES. 



367 



April 30. Sunday. To-day we have had just such 
weather as one expects to find in the south of 
France; where so many invalids come in search of 
health. It was like one of our softest June days at 
home. We enjoyed it all the more after our rough 
sea voyage. Here, as in every other town on the 
continent, where the British Government has a 
representative, you find the services of the church; 
an inestimable privilege to English and American 
travellers. We attended, both morning and after- 
noon, at a large room, conveniently fitted up for the 
purpose, where the Eev. M. J. Mayers, the British 
chaplain, has officiated for several years. He is now 
on a visit to the United States ; and the service to- 
day was performed by an English clergyman ; if I 
mistake not, the Vicar of Sheffield. After the se- 
cond service, we went with him and his sister, by 
invitation of Mrs. Mayers, to dine at her house. 
Immediately after dinner we walked out together to 
a hill in the suburbs of the city, where the new 
water- works have just been finished on a grand 
scale. They are much more extensive than any 
similar works of modern times, which we have seen, 
and reminded us of the old Eoman reservoirs. The 
water is conducted from a distance of eighty miles, 
into immense underground cisterns, built of granite, 
covering an area of several acres. Over these, it is 
intended to have a public promenade, ornamented 



368 



ARLES. 



with, trees and shrubbery. The view from here, of 
the city, the neighbouring hills and villas, the har- 
bour, and the sea, is very fine; and the grounds, 
when completed, will no doubt be a favourite resort 
of the citizens. 

May 1. As we could not obtain seats in the dili- 
gence to-day for Lyons, we engaged them for to- 
morrow, to be taken up at Avignon, seventy-four 
miles from Marseilles, where the railroad terminates. 
At nine o'clock we took the cars for Aries, forty 
miles distant. It is a quiet old town, situated on the 
Ehone, and only remarkable at present for some 
ancient Eoman remains. To the Protestant church- 
man, it has a special interest, as the place where 
Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury, was 
consecrated, A. D. 596, by Yirgilius, Bishop of 
Aries, and iEtharius, Bishop of Lyons. It is 
through these sees, and not through Eome, that the 
English church, and consequently our own, trace 
their apostolic succession. We stopped here over 
one train, four hours, which gave us ample time to 
see the ruins. The massive walls of the Amphi- 
theatre are in good preservation, but its corridors 
and seats are gone. It was capable of holding thirty 
thousand spectators. The old Eoman theatre, of 
which there are some interesting relics, enough to 
give an idea of its original beauty, was intended to 



NISMES. 



369 



seat eighteen thousand. Several granite columns, 
belonging to the Eoman forum, may be seen in the 
wall of a hotel in the Place du Forum. We looked 
into the ancient cathedral of St. Trophimus, and its 
curious cloisters, which are well worth visiting. 

At three o'clock, we took the train to Tarascon, 
and thence, by a branch road to Nismes, which we 
reached in an hour and a half, and stopped for the 
night at the Hotel Manivet. Nismes possesses some 
exceedingly interesting Eoman remains, more ex- 
tensive, and more perfect, than those of Aries ; or 
than any other city in Northern Europe. The am- 
phitheatre is a splendid ruin, built, like those of 
Verona and Aries, in the time of the Caesars, after 
the model of the Colosseum. Its length is four hun- 
dred and thirty-seven feet, breadth three hundred 
and thirty-two feet, height seventy feet. It was cal- 
culated to seat twenty thousand spectators, Though 
not near so large as the Colosseum at Eome, it is 
much better preserved. Opposite to our hotel is 
an ancient Corinthian temple, surrounded by thirty 
fluted columns, supporting capitals, frieze, and 
cornice, of admirable beauty. This building, known 
as the " Maison Carree," is now a museum of anti- 
quities. These, and the other Eoman relics of the 
ancient city Nemausus, are on the boulevard of 
Nismes ; a fine broad street, shaded with trees, and 
32 



370 



AVIGXOX. 



adorned with many fine modern houses. But the 
great beauty of the town is the Place de la Fontaine, 
with its public gardens. In the middle of this 
splendid promenade, is an ancient fountain, sending 
up a vast volume of water, which is received into a 
large reservoir, and then conducted off through the 
garden, by means of a canal. Here are some re- 
mains of a Eoman building, which is thought, by 
some, to have been a temple of Diana ; others sup- 
pose, with greater probability, that it was a temple 
dedicated to the nymphs of this fountain. 

May 2. "We left Nismes at nine o'clock this morn- 
ing, and in two hours were at Avignon, where we 
remained through the day. The railroad from Mar- 
seilles to this place, seventy-four miles, is one of the 
best conducted, and most agreeable roads, that we 
have ever met with. It passes through a pleasant, 
highly cultivated country ; and, like most of the 
roads in France, its sides are planted with orna- 
mental trees, and hedges, neatly trimmed, and inter- 
spersed with ever-blooming roses, and other flower- 
ing shrubs. You seem to be all the while riding 
through an avenue of some great public garden. At 
almost every station, you see neat little garden plots, 
with a profusion of flowers. What a contrast to 
our naked, shadeless, American roads, and our un- 
inviting, tasteless station houses! We might at 



AVIGNON. 



371 



least learn a valuable lesson from the French in this 
respect. 

Avignon is a place of great historical interest. 
The ancient palace of the Popes, who formerly had 
their residence here, is still standing. This immense 
pile of buildings is now converted into barracks. 
It was once a palace, a prison, and a castle. Here 
was the seat of the Papal court, and the chamber of 
the Inquisition ; here was the dungeon of Eienzi, the 
Eoman Tribune ; and here, in after years, were per- 
petrated some of the most horrible crimes of the 
French Eevolution. 

The cathedral church of Notre Dame, one of the 
oldest churches in France, is supposed to stand on 
the site of a temple of Hercules. Its curious old 
Eoman porch, and a marble altar, supported by five 
pillars, evidently very ancient, are supposed to have 
belonged to the idol temple. Some portions of the 
present building are, without doubt, as early as the 
time of Constantine. The cathedral stands upon a 
lofty platform of rock, which has been converted 
into a public walk ; commanding a beautiful pano- 
ramic view of the city, the valley of the Ehone, and 
the distant hills around Vaucluse. 

In a chapel of the asylum for insane persons, is a 
remarkable ivory crucifix, twenty-six inches high, 
executed in 1659, by Jean Guillenina, and presented 
by him to this institution. It exhibits a wonderful 



372 lyoxs. 

degree of patient, persevering labour ; and, in the 
estimation of good judges, is a work of high artistic 
skill. 

May 3. TTe took our seats in the diligence, at 
nine o'clock last evening, for Lyons ; by Orange, 
Valence, and Vienne, a distance of about a hundred 
and forty miles, which we accomplished in twenty 
hours. The road is on the left, or east bank of the 
Rhone, and generally near the river. There is great 
variety of scenery, and much that is quite pictu- 
resque; but it is not equal to the Rhine. "We are 
told, however, that we passed some of the finest 
districts in the night. T^Te went to the Hotel clu 
Norfi, a well-kept comfortable inn. It was five 
o'clock in the afternoon when we reached Lyons, 
and we had only time to take a hasty view of this 
large and flourishing manufacturing city ; the second 
in France, in population and wealth. Its situation 
at the confluence of those noble rivers, the Ehone 
and Saone, is very beautiful ; and there is an impres- 
sive grandeur in its external appearance. In gene- 
ral, the streets are narrow, and from the great height 
of the houses, gloomy. Some of them, however, are 
wide, airy, and clean ; and the shops display a pro- 
fusion of those rich and costly silk fabrics, for which 
Lyons is so celebrated. To the thoughtful Christian, 
this city, the ancient Lugdunum, has a higher fame 



CHALONS. 



373 



and a deeper interest^ as the site of a flourishing 
church, and an Episcopal See, in apostolic times. 
Pothinus, its first bishop, A. D. 177, and Irenaeus, 
his successor, A. D. 179, both of whom suffered mar- 
tyrdom here, were disciples of Poly carp, the disciple 
of St. John. 

May 4. The distance from Lyons to Chalons is 
one hundred miles ; and the upward voyage, against 
a strong current^ is performed in seven hours. We 
left Lyons at five A. M., in one of the fast steamers, 
averaging from thirteen to fifteen miles an hour, 
and at twelve were at Chalons ; having touched for 
a few minutes at Macon and Tournus. The scenery 
of the Saone, in the lower part of its course, near its 
junction with the Ehone, is quite picturesque; it 
becomes tamer, and less interesting, as you ascend. 
"When the railroad from Chalons to Avignon, which 
is nearly finished, shall be opened, there will be an 
uninterrupted communication by rail, between Paris 
and Marseilles. 

At a quarter before two o'clock P. M., we took 
the express train to Paris, which runs through in 
less than nine hours. The distance is about two 
hundred and fifty miles. The principal cities 
through which we passed, are Beaune, Dijon, 
Joigny, Sens, Montereau, and Fontainebleau. 
About ten miles from Chalons, begin the celebrated 

32* 



374 



COTE D'OR. 



vineyards of the Cote d'Or, .where the finest Bur- 
gundy wines are grown. They are said to rank 
among the best in France. The road for thirty 
miles, skirts along the hills of the Cote d'Or, which 
rise to the height of several hundred feet, and are 
terraced to the top. The slopes of these hills, and 
the plains, are very fertile, but at this season they 
have a naked appearance ; the new shoots of the 
vine not having grown sufficiently to conceal the 
stems. In a few weeks, they will be clothed with 
the richest verdure. After leaving Dijon, the centre 
of the wine trade of Burgundy, the road, for the 
next hundred miles, runs through a well-cultivated 
country, for the most part hilly, yet abounding with 
beautiful vales, fine old chateaux, and picturesque 
villages. 

"We had an excellent dinner at the station of the 
little romantic looking old town of Tonnerre. Soon 
after leaving this place, night came on, and we saw 
nothing more of the country or towns through which 
we passed. At half past ten o'clock, we reached the 
Paris station ; and at eleven, were at dur old Hotel 
de Lille et d' Albion, Bue St. Honore ; an excellent 
house, and charges moderate. Our journey, of 
nearly four hundred miles, since five A. M. when we 
left Lyons, prepared us for a good night's rest. 

May 5. In our former visit to Paris, about ten 



PARIS. 



375 



months since, we saw all the principal objects of 
interest in this beautiful city; so that there was 
nothing to detain us here, and we made our arrange- 
ments to leave in the mail express train to-night, for 
London. At our banker's, we found a packet of 
letters waiting for us. 

May 6. We left Paris at half past seven o'clock, 
last evening, had a smooth passage across the Chan- 
nel, from Calais to Dover, and arrived at London 
Bridge Station at eight A. M. 

The same pleasant rooms which we had formerly 
occupied, for several weeks, at Allsop Terrace, New 
Eoad, near Eegent's Park, were ready for us ; and 
we soon found ourselves as much at home there, as 
if we had not been away. 

May 7. Sunday. We attended the morning 
services at Westminster Abbey. The preacher, Eev. 
Mr. Bentick, canon and archdeacon of Westminster, 
delivered an interesting discourse from the Psalmist's 
words, "The valley of the shadow of death." The 
seats in the choir and transept were all filled, and 
many persons were obliged to stand through the 
service. A large number remained to the Holy 
Communion. In the afternoon, we went to St. 
Mary's, Bryanstone Square. 



376 



LONDON. 



May 8. We called to pay our respects to the new 
American minister, Mr, Buchanan, and spent a 
pleasant half hour with him. The missing letters, 
which we left at Sjra, came by to-day's mail ; so 
that all our letters from home have now been 
received ; and we learn that none of those which we 
have sent, have failed to reach their destination. 

May 9. Our passage in the Arctic is engaged ; but 
as she does not sail until the 17th, we are compelled 
to remain longer in England than we could wish. 
Before going to the continent, we made a tour 
through England, Scotland, and Ireland. And a resi- 
dence in London of seven weeks, each day diligently 
occupied, has left nothing to detain us here ; although 
there is no city that we have seen, where we should 
be more willingly detained, than in this. 

As we were passing St. Margaret's Church, Loth- 
bury, this morning, we saw the door open, and 
recollecting that it was the day for Mr. Henry 
Melvill's Tuesday lecture, we went in, and had the 
pleasure of again hearing one of his most eloquent 
discourses, from the lesson for the day, 1 Kings xxii. 
20-22. The church was filled, and we took our 
seats on the chancel steps. It is rather a singular 
coincidence, that we should have heard him just one 
year ago yesterday, in this place, from the text, also 
in the lesson for that day, 2 Kings ii. 24. We then 



LONDON. 



377 



heard him under more favourable circumstances ; 
for having gone at an early hour, and having had 
a previous introduction to Mr. Melvill, we were 
provided with comfortable seats in a pew. An 
eminent clergyman, a personal friend of the lecturer, 
told me that the sermon which I heard last year, 
" Elisha mocked by little children," was one of his 
happiest efforts. Mr. Melvill's manner is not alto- 
gether agreeable, but there is an originality of 
thought, and a simplicity and earnestness about him, 
which never fail to rivet the attention. He is chap- 
lain of the Tower of London, and officiates there 
every Sunday, as rector of the Church of St. Peter 
ad Yincula. The " Golden Lecture," as it is called, 
is on a special foundation, and is delivered each 
Tuesday morning, in St. Margaret's, Lothbury. 
Although in the busiest part of London, and on a 
week day, the church is always crowded. 

May 10. We looked in at Exeter Hall, this morn- 
ing, where the "Protestant Association" was holding 
its anniversary, and listened for a short time to 
sundry warm declamations ; but the proceedings of 
the meeting were of too little interest to induce us 
to remain. We afterwards called on the Bishop of 
Oxford, at his residence in Pall Mall, and talked 
over our pleasant little journey together on the con- 
tinent. We had most unexpectedly met his Lord- 



378 



LONDON. 



ship at TJlm, and travelled with him from thence to 
Augsburg, and afterwards to Munich ; where we 
passed four delightful days together, in visiting the 
many objects of interest in that beautiful city. A 
more intelligent and agreeable travelling companion 
could not be desired. It was also our privilege to 
hear him preach, on Sunday morning, at the Eng- 
lish chapel in Munich. On taking leave of him to- 
day, we expressed the hope that Ave might one 
day have the pleasure of seeing him in America. 

In the evening I went to a dinner given by our 
countryman, Mr. Peabody, to the American minis- 
ter, at the Clarendon Hotel, Bond Street. The party 
consisted of only twenty-seven. It was much less 
formal than such dinners usually are ; and the even- 
ing passed quite pleasantly. 

May 11. To day we spent several hours at the 
zoological gardens, in Eegent's Park; one of the most 
attractive places in London ; and one of the most 
useful for public resort. We found many additions 
had been made to this noble establishment, since 
our last visit here, a year ago. It now forms the 
largest, and choicest collection of rare and curious 
animals, in the world, and for neatness and order in 
its arrangements, is unequalled by any similar insti- 
tution. The noblest specimens of elephants, lions, 
tigers, bears, and leopards, are here ; but the hippo- 



LONDON. 



379 



potamus, rhinoceros, and giraffes, from their greater 
rarity, attract most attention. Crocodiles, turtles, 
otters, and one large seal, have their appropriate 
places, where they thrive apparently as well as in 
their unconfined state. The institution is particu- 
larly rich in the ornithological department. Os- 
triches, pelicans, vultures, and cranes, together with 
almost every species of water-fowl, have their suit- 
able enclosures. Many hundreds of smaller birds, ad- 
mired for the beauty of their plumage, or the sweet- 
ness of their song, are to be seen flying about in 
their large aviaries, apparently unconscious of their 
imprisonment ; so light and airy is the network 
which surrounds them. Perhaps the most curious 
exhibition of all, is that of the fishes ; especially the 
Crustacea ; which are enclosed in tanks of fine plate 
glass, through which they can be distinctly seen ; 
and furnished with stones, pebbles, grasses, and al- 
gae, suited to their respective habits. Every thing 
about these gardens is on a princely scale. The 
walks and grounds cover many acres, ornamented 
with trees, shrubbery, and flowers, of great variety 
and beauty. And such large spaces are allotted to 
the animals, particularly to those of the gentler kind, 
such as deer, gazelles, and lamas, that they hardly 
appear to be under confinement. No one who visits 
these gardens can fail to be impressed with their 
importance, as a source of instruction and amuse- 



380 



LIVERPOOL. 



rnent, to the population of a large city like London. 
Public parks, botanical and zoological gardens, on 
the same large scale, as we find them here, are 
among the things most to be desired in the chief 
cities of our own country. And no city demands 
them more, or possesses greater advantages for their 
successful establishment, than Philadelphia. 

May 13. "VTe left London this morning, at nine 
o'clock, by the Xorth "Western Eailway, and reached 
Birmingham in three hours ; travelling at the rate 
of forty miles an hour, including stops. Here we 
remained an hour, and then took another train, 
which brought us to Liverpool at five in the after- 
noon. This part of England probably never looked 
more beautiful than now, in the freshness of its 
spring dress, and under an unusually bright sky. 

"We have very comfortable rooms at the Adelphi, 
the hotel at which we stopped on landing at this 
port last year. 

May 14. Sunday. On returning from service at St. 
Peter's, this morning, we found that the Asia had 
arrived, and among her passengers, at our hotel, 
were my friend, Professor Eeed, his sister Miss 
Bronson, a parishioner of mine, and two others of 
their party, also members of my congregation. It 
was delightful to meet such dear and familiar faces, 



LIVERPOOL. . 381 

direct from our own hearth, and home, from which 
we had been so loug absent. They all went with us 
to the evening service at St. Nicholas's Church ; after 
which we returned and dined together. When Pro- 
fessor Eeed left the next day, for the lakes, he was 
anticipating the highest pleasure from a visit of a 
few days to Dr. Davy, at Ambleside, and to Mrs. 
Wordsworth, at Eydal Mount. I had reason to 
know, from letters of introduction which he had 
given me to these and others of his literary friends 
in England, particularly to the Wordsworths and 
Golericlges, that his expectations would be more 
than realized ; that they were prepared to welcome 
him with true-hearted English hospitality; and to 
show him every attention, which was due alike to 
his brilliant talents, elegant accomplishments, kind, 
courteous, and gentlemanly manners, and pure 
Christian character. I felt sure, from the enthusiasm 
with which the friends whom he most esteemed 
spoke of him to me, that he would receive such a 
greeting, as would make these visits among the 
brightest spots of his life. And his letters to his 
friends at home tell how exquisite the enjoyment 
was to him ; how far beyond all that he expected, 
was the kindness and hospitality with which he was 
every where received. His tour through England 
seems to be one of unalloyed pleasure. But, alas ! 
how soon, and sad, and sudden, was its termination ! 
33 



382 



SHEFFIELD. 



In the very moment when hope was at its highest, 
within sight of his own native shores, and expecting 
soon to set foot on his own hearth-stone, that noble 
steamer, on which he had embarked, with three 
hundred of his fellow-beings, goes down at mid-day, 
on a calm sea, and all of them find a common grave 
beneath the heaving billows. Brother and sister 
perished together. How immeasurable the loss to 
their friends ! How great the gain to them ! Their 
own dear home is made desolate; but they have 
found, in paradise, a better home than any that 
earth contains ; and theirs will be a glorious resur- 
rection, when the earth and the sea shall give up 
their dead ! 

May 15. Having two or three days on our hands 
before the steamer sails, we concluded to make a 
visit to Chatsworth, the seat of the Duke of Devon- 
shire. "We took a morning train to Manchester, 
thirty-one miles, where we stopped two or three 
hours, to get a general view of this great manufac- 
turing town, and then went on to Sheffield, forty-two 
miles further, where we arrived at four P. M., and 
spent the night. Nearly half way between Manches- 
ter and Sheffield, the railroad passes through a 
tunnel three miles in length. "We visited the cele- 
brated cutlery establishment of Rogers and Sons. 
One of the proprietors went with us through their 



CHATS WORTH. 



383 



elegant show-rooms, which contain a rich display of 
cutlery and plated ware. We were next taken to 
the workshops, where we saw the process of making 
some of their finest cutlery. They employ no less 
than five hundred workmen in their various manu- 
factories. 

Sheffield is romantically situated among the hills 
which surround and overlook it, like an amphithea- 
tre. Like all great manufacturing towns, where 
bituminous coal is used, the buildings are blackened 
with the smoke of numberless chimneys. Its envi- 
rons are pleasant, and contain many tasteful resi- 
dences, with extensive ornamental grounds and gar- 
dens. 

May 16. Taking a private carriage at Sheffield, 
we started at an early hour in the morning for 
Chatsworth, distant fourteen miles. A pleasant 
drive through a picturesque country, brought us to 
the entrance of this princely domain ; which, taken as 
a whole, is thought to be equal to any in the king- 
dom. The magnificent mansion has some fine pic- 
tures, and abounds in sculpture by Thorwaldsen, 
Canova, and Chantry. We had only time to pass 
rapidly through the long suites of apartments, to ad- 
mire its lofty rooms, hung with tapestry, and 
adorned with exquisite carvings by Grinling Gib- 
bons, to give a hasty glance at the numberless 



384 



CHATSWORTH. 



works of art within, and to pause a moment before 
each window, to take a passing look outside at the 
lovely views, beautifully diversified with lawn and 
garden, wood and water, hill and dale. The park, 
which is twelve miles in circumference, has a great 
variety of charming scenery. Numerous herds of 
deer were grazing in the open pastures, or reposing 
beneath the shade of gigantic trees. Sixteen hun- 
dred of these animals are within the park enclosure. 
The fountains and waterfalls are many of them 
beautiful, and some of them are constructed on a 
grand scale. But the gardens are the chief attrac- 
tions of this domain, and are among the most cele- 
brated in England. The grand conservatory, three 
hundred feet long, and about a hundred and fifty 
feet wide, covers the area of an acre, and is filled 
with palms and other rare trees and plants. This 
magnificent building, constructed entirely of glass, 
suggested to the architect, Sir Joseph Paxton, that 
still more stupendous structure, which has given 
him a world-wide fame, the Crystal Palace. His 
own splendid residence, built for him by the Duke, 
is here in Chatsworth Park. 

TVe returned to Sheffield in time to take the after- 
noon train, dined at Manchester, and reached Liver- 
pool early in the evening. The next day at noon, 
"Wednesday, May 17, we went on board the Arctic, 
and in an hour after were under full steam down the 



LIVERPOOL. 



385 



river, with every prospect of a speedy passage home. 
That night, however, while going at the rate of 
fourteen miles an hour, our ship ran on a rock, near 
Tuscar light, which caused her to leak so badly, that 
we were obliged to put back to Liverpool, and to go 
into dry dock for repairs. Here was a sad disap- 
pointment to all our hopes and expectations of the 
day before; but we felt that we could not be too 
thankful for our merciful preservation. It was about 
two o'clock in the morning when the ship struck, 
breaking what the sailors call her " forefoot," tearing 
off thirty feet of her keel, starting several timbers, 
and making a frightful rent in her planks. Had she 
been less substantially built, she must have gone 
down immediately with all on board ; and thus anti- 
cipated that sad fate, which befell her a few months 
after. 

On returning to port, most of our passengers left; 
but we, with about twenty others, concluded to re- 
main in the ship. Those who had not been well 
accommodated before, could now select the best state- 
rooms. At the request of Captain Luce, we lodged 
and took our meals on board. 

Three hundred men were at work eight days in 
making the necessary repairs. When these were 
completed, our cargo and coal, which had been dis- 
charged, were taken in, and we were again ready for 
sea. 

33* 



386 



LIVERPOOL. 



We left Liverpool on Sunday noon, May 28, 
with about fifty passengers in the first cabin ; had a 
fine run that day down the channel, and after a 
prosperous and pleasant passage of ten days and six 
hours, we arrived safely in Xew York. My wife 
and daughter met us there, and in a few hours 
more we were at home, surrounded by the members 
of my family, all in health ; and by parishioners and 
friends, little less dear than those of my own house- 
hold. How happy a termination to our long and 
delightful pilgrimage! What fervent gratitude and 
love are due to Him, who preserved me and my son 
from sickness and danger, through all our journey- 
ings ; and, when brought back, by his merciful guid- 
ance, to our native land, after an absence of fourteen 
months, permitted us to find the friends whom we 
had left, waiting to welcome us, — and our home un- 
changed ! 



! 



APPENDIX. 



APPENDIX. 



The following agreements which we made with 
our dragoman — the one to take us up the Nile, and 
the other through the desert and Syria — may serve 
as guides to those who have occasion to make similar 
contracts. The first was drawn up by my friend, Mr. 
Gilpin; and, judging from our experience, I do not 
think that it can be improved in terms, or in form. 
The second, it will be seen, is nearly a transcript of 
the first ; with only such alterations as were neces- 
sary in changing our mode of travel, from a boat on 
the river, to camels on the desert. 

Each of these contracts was written in both Eng- 
lish and Arabic, on the same sheet ; they were read 
aloud at the consul's office, in the presence of wit- 
nesses; were signed by our dragoman and ourselves ; 
and when duly certified and sealed by the American 
vice-consul, Mr. C. Kahil, were given to each of the 
contracting parties. 



390 



APPENDIX. 



Agreement made at Cairo, ox the 6th of 
January, 1854, in presence of the Yice-Consul 
of the United States of America, between 
the Reverend Benjamin Dorr and Henry D. 
Gilpin, Citizens of the United States of Ame- 
rica, AND HASSANEIN BEDOUIN OF CAIRO. 

1. Hassanein Bedouin agrees to attend the said 
Benjamin Dorr with his son, and the said Henry D. 
Gilpin, with his wife, and courier, John Muscat, as 
dragoman, on a voyage from Cairo to Thebes and 
back to Cairo. 

2. He agrees to perform all duties of a dragoman ; 
to comply in all things with the directions of said 
voyagers ; to provide the boat selected by them for 
the voyage ; to take care that it has on board, at all 
times, a good crew of twelve able full-grown sailors ; 
in addition to the reis, pilot, and cook; to have the 
crew decently clothed; to have the boat always sup- 
plied with strong good sails, masts, oars, ropes, awn- 
ings, and a complete equipment ; to have her tho- 
roughly cleaned, and kept free from vermin, and 
everything offensive, and washed every day ; to fur- 
nish her to the satisfaction of the said voyagers, with 
new and clean bedding, blankets, linen, sheeting, 
chairs, tables, crockery, glass, lights, candles, rugs, 
window glasses, and all things necessary in the opi- 



CONTRACT FOR NILE VOYAGE. 391 

nion of said voyagers for their comfort ; to provide 
for their washing, food, and supplies of every de- 
scription, except wine and beer ; to take from Cairo 
sufficient food and groceries, and to obtain on the 
voyage fresh food, milk, vegetables, bread, and all 
other articles, in quantity and quality, to be approved 
of by said voyagers ; to have on board an experi- 
enced cook, and complete cooking apparatus ; and 
to give the meals as often as the said voyagers desire. 

3. He agrees to pay all backsheesh, and payments 
of every kind, to the reis, crew, Arabs, and all per- 
sons employed on the voyage ; to take care that none 
of the crew leave the vessel at any time, without 
consent of the voyagers ; that two of them shall keep 
watch through the whole of every night ; and that 
the sail-rope shall always be held by hand, so as 
to be kept free. 

4. He agrees that the voyagers shall never be re- 
sponsible for any accident or damage to the boat or 
crew. 

5. He agrees to begin the voyage on Monday, the 
9th of January, 1854, at 4 o'clock P.M., and to com- 
plete it, and return to Cairo, in thirty days from 
its commencement ; but he is to allow the said voy- 
agers to stop for eight days, at such places, and for 
such time, as they desire ; the said eight days being 
included in, and making part of, the said thirty days 
in which the complete voyage is to be made; and he 



392 



APPENDIX. 



is to provide, at his own expense, and pay all back- 
sheesh, for all the guides, donkeys, horses, and con- 
veyances, necessary, or usual, for the said voyagers 
to visit all the places at which they desire to stop ; 
and to keep the boat and crew subject to the direc- 
tions of the voyagers, at all times of night and 
dav. 

6. The said voyagers agree, if these conditions are 
faithfully performed by Hassanein Bedouin, to pay 
him one hundred and ten pounds sterling (£110); 
of which seventy pounds sterling (£70) are to be paid 
before leaving Cairo ; and the residue at Cairo on 
the return, if the voyage is made within the time 
specified, and in a manner satisfactory to the voya- 
gers. If the voyagers request Hassanein Bedouin 
to stop to visit any places, for more than eight days 
in the whole, they shall pay him, in addition, two 
pounds sterling (£2) for each additional day on 
which they so stop. 

This contract was fulfilled to our entire satisfac- 
tion ; and on our return to Cairo, we gave our cer- 
tificate to Hassanein to that effect. The time occu- 
pied in going and returning was thirty-two days. 

Before ascending the Nile, I had made an arrange- 
ment with Hassanein, to take me and my son by 
ourselves, through the desert and Syria to Beyrout, 
by whichever route we chose ; either by Sinai and 



CONTRACT FOR TOUR IN SYRIA. 393 

Petra, in sixty days ; or by El Arish and Gaza, in 
forty days; for one pound sterling each, per day. 
A condition of the agreement was, if I saw fit to add 
one or two to my party, then we were each of us to 
pay only sixteen shillings sterling per day. Our 
friend, Mr. Goodhue of New York, joined us; we 
chose the route by El Arish and Gaza, and the con- 
tract was drawn as follows : — 

Agreement made at Cairo on the 13th Feb- 
ruary, 1854, in presence of the Vice-Con- 
sul of the United States of America, between 
Kev. Benj. Dorr and Wm. C. Goodhue, Citizens 
of the United States of America, and Hassa- 
nein Bedouin, of Cairo. 

1. Hassanein Bedouin agrees to attend the said 
Benjamin Dorr and son, and the said William C. 
Goodhue, as dragoman from Cairo to Beyrout. 

2. He agrees to perform all duties of dragoman, 
to comply in all things with the directions of said 
travellers, to pay all expenses of the journey for 
camels, mules, and such other means of conveyance 
as may be necessary; also for guides, and backsheesh 
to the Arabs and others who may be employed 
during that time ; to furnish a sufficient quantity of 
best provisions, and all needful travelling equipage, 

34 



394 



APPENDIX. 



such as tents, beds, &c, and to pay all expenses of 
living, whether in the towns or while under canvass. 

S. He agrees that the travellers shall never be 
responsible for accident or damage to the camels, 
mules, furniture, or attendants. 

4. He agrees to begin the journey on Wednesday 
the 15th February, 1854, at 10 o'clock A.M., and to 
complete it in forty days from its commencement. 

5. He agrees to take them by the following route, 
and in the time herein specified, viz : — to Gaza in 
twelve days, including quarantine ; to Jerusalem, by 
the way of Askalon, Esdud, and Eamleh, in three 
days ; to remain fourteen days in Jerusalem, includ- 
ing excursions to the Jordan, the Dead Sea, and to 
Hebron, and back to Jerusalem. From Jerusalem 
he agrees to take them to Bethel, one day ; Nablous, 
one day ; to Jenin, by Samaria, one day ; to Naz- 
areth, by Jezreel, and Shunem, one day; to Tiberias, 
one day ; and back to Nazareth by Mt. Tabor, one 
day; to Mount Carmel, one day; to Bussah, one 
day ; to Tyre, one day ; to Sidon, by Sarepta, or 
Zarephath, one day ; to Beyrout, one day ; making 
in all forty (40) days. He agrees to provide at his 
own expense, and pay all backsheesh, for all the 
guides, guards, donkeys, horses and conveyances, 
necessary or useful for the said travellers to visit the 
places aforesaid. He is to choose the best places for 



CONTRACT FOR TOUR IN SYRIA. 395 

their lodging, and the journey of each day shall 
begin and close, and be at such speed as they shall 
require. The persons employed to be always under 
the orders of the said travellers. When at Jerusa- 
lem, the best hotel or boarding-house shall be select- 
ed, the house and rooms to be approved of by said 
travellers, and the best fare and accommodations 
given. The whole expenses to be paid by him. 

6. In case of his inability, or of any of his assist- 
ants, or of any of the camels or mules, to continue 
the journey, suitable persons and camels, or mules, 
shall be immediately supplied at his expense and 
risk. And all detention by such inability, or by 
any neglect, the pay for time thus lost shall be de- 
ducted. 

7. The said travellers agree, if these conditions be 
faithfully performed by Hassanein Bedouin, to pay 
him ninety six (<£96) pounds sterling, of which 
seventy two (£72) pounds sterling, are to be paid 
before leaving Cairo, and the residue at Beyrout, 
if the journey is made within the time specified, 
and in a manner satisfactory to the travellers. It is 
expressly stipulated that there shall be no travelling 
on Sundays, unless the travellers request it. 

8. The said Hassanein Bedouin further agrees to 
take the said travellers from Beyrout to Damascus 
and back, for the sum of sixteen shillings (16s.) ster- 
ling, each, per day, if they should desire it; the said 



396 



APPENDIX. 



journey not to occupy more than ten days, and all 
.expenses of every kind to be paid by him. 

Hassanein also fulfilled this agreement to our sat- 
isfaction ; but, as the tour had been more expensive 
to him than he anticipated, in consequence of the 
higher price of provisions, we gave him a few pounds 
over and above the sum specified in the contract. 



THE END. 



! 



j 



Deacidifieci using the Bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide. 
Treatment Date: Dec. 2002 

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